


The Phoenix and The Dove

by DragonGirl2010



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Awkward Cullen Rutherford, Childbirth, F/M, Female Trevelyan/Female Cousland are twins, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Humor, King Alistair and Queen Cousland (Rule), M/M, Mental Health Issues, Other, POV Alistair (Dragon Age), POV Alternating, POV Cullen Rutherford, POV Warden (Dragon Age), Pregnancy, Twins, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:08:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 44
Words: 77,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25195180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonGirl2010/pseuds/DragonGirl2010
Summary: Twin sisters, who were raised as cousins, reunite when the world is on the brink of destruction. The pendants that were given to them when they were born will be their guiding keys to finding each other. One is saving the entire fate of Thedas, and the other is finding the cure to the Calling. They try to balance saving the world, and protecting each other. Luckily they won't have to do it alone.Their names are Juliet and Elissa Cousland, and this is their story.(Updating and Editing a few chapters)
Relationships: Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Cullen Rutherford/Female Mage Trevelyan, Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Fergus Cousland/Leliana, Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus, Male Hawke/Isabela
Comments: 46
Kudos: 11





	1. The Inquisition is Born

Juliet Trevylan made a name for herself for closing the Breach, the tear in the sky for only momentarily. People were calling her the fabled Herald of Andraste. The mage’s glowing hand wasn’t the only thing that made people stare. Her fiery hair and icy blue eyes caught everyone’s attention because she was beautiful. Juliet joined forces with new friends who came together to stop the threat of the world. The Inquisition had become her new family, and she wouldn’t let anyone take her away from having a family again. Varric, a storyteller, gave everyone nicknames instead of calling everyone by their names. He told Juliet that she was Nix to him. She reminded him of a Phoenix, which has been her nickname since she was born. On the night of her birth, Juliet was stillborn. Minutes later, she was resurrected, so she became her parents’ little Phoenix. When she was older and in the Circle, she cast a spell that created a tattoo. The bird was now a part of her. She bonded with her Grand Enchanter, Lydia, who became a mother figure to her. Lydia taught her that spell. Juliet had many fond memories in the Circle; some forever left deep scars on her.

The Breach was closed temporarily, but Solas, an expert on the Fade, stated that Juliet would need more power to seal it completely. She awakened three days after she closed the Breach with the help of new friends. She feared that it was just a dream that she would awake in her chambers at the Circle in Ostwick, but she didn't. She awoke in Haven, the place where she met a few unique people. Even the handsome warrior, who protected her from a Shade attack while she closed a small rift. ' _Commander Cullen, he has caring honey amber eyes. I wonder how he got the scar on his lip?’_ she thought. While lost in thought, an eleven servant entered her cabin bringing in medical supplies. The elf screamed to see her awake. She instantly drops the crate and begins apologizing to her immediately. “Oh! My lady, I do apologize. I didn’t mean to come here, unannounced!” the servant kept apologizing while picking up the contents on the floor. Juliet got up from the bed and began helping the elven girl.

“No need to apologize. Also, no need to call me ‘my lady’ either. I lost that title privilege from being a mage, and I never like the sound of it either.” Juliet chuckles. “My name is Juliet, and yours?” she asked her. She wanted to let the girl know that she wasn’t like other people, and she saw everyone as equals. That was one thing she was thankful that she didn’t inherit from her father, unlike her older brothers, who were exact copies of their father.

“Lori, my name is Lori,” Lori responded and began to stand up, holding the contents of the crate that she dropped. “Thank you, Juliet. No one has shown me such kindness as you have. Oh! I almost forgot, Lady Cassandra, said to come to the Chantry at once. I do need to be getting back to delivering the rest of the supplies from the apothecary.” Juliet shook her hand and waved goodbye to Lori. She wonders what the Seeker could need from her. Juliet gets her staff to transform it into a charm before placing it on her necklace. As she begins walking out the door, she is stunned by what she sees. She now wonders if this is an actual dream.

When she leaves her cabin, she sees two lines of soldiers making a pathway to the Chantry, and they salute her as she passes by. _Ok, what the hell?’_ Juliet, puzzled by what has happened the past three days while she was asleep. As she gets closer to the Chantry to see Cullen talking to a lieutenant, at least this was somewhat normal to her. She smiles back to him as she walks through the front doors of the Chantry. She was taking in the Great hall once more before hearing shouting from the other end of the hall. Before placing her hand on the handle, she hears Cassandra and Chancellor Roderick arguing, but unsure what about. “Have you gone mad?! She should be taken to Val Royeaux, to be tried by whoever becomes Divine!” Roderick roared. So they were arguing about her, of course, as he never liked either of them from the start. She propped against the wall next to the door to continue to listen, hoping Cassandra would argue with him in her defense. 

“I do not believe she is guilty,” Cassandra responded. Juliet could breathe better knowing she had a friend amid this mess that they were in, especially a great one like Cassandra.

“The prisoner failed, Seeker. The Breach is still in the sky. For all you know, she intended it this way,” retorted Roderick. Juliet stood back, arms folded, trying to compose herself that way she wouldn't harm anyone.

“Again, I do not believe that, Chancellor. Are you saying you don’t trust her, so, therefore, no one else should as well? Is it because she is a mage and considered dangerous?" yelled Cassandra. 

“That is not for you to decide. You have a job to serve the Chantry!" Roderick roared, again so loud that Juliet is surprised no one else heard it. This argument seemed like it lasted hours more than minutes. She began pacing back and forth, wondering when would be the right time to enter the room.

“I have to serve the principles on which the foundation of the Chantry, Chancellor. As is yours!” yelled louder Cassandra. Juliet heard enough of this argument and decided to walk in.

The door opens, and before she steps one foot in the room, Chancellor Roderick looks to her and orders the two guards to cuff Juliet to take her to the capital for the “trial" he was threatening Cassandra before. When the guards began walking towards Juliet, she was going to go willingly. If it meant Roderick would leave as well, so he would quit giving everyone a headache. “Disregard that, and leave us," Cassandra ordered. The guards salute her and leave. Juliet mouths, _“Thank you."_ before walking further into the room. She notices that Leliana has been in there the entire time. Leliana rubs her head, probably from the yelling, and trying to be a peacemaker; during the argument, Cassandra nods and looks back to Roderick.

“You walk a dangerous line, Seeker.” Roderick threatened. Juliet looks back and gives Leliana a look wondering whether Roderick will give up arguing with Cassandra, and Leliana shakes her head.

“The Breach is stable, but still a threat, and I will not ignore it," Cassandra spoke. She knew that this argument was over, and she had won. She heard Roderick sigh and knew that he had nothing to support his reasoning. After more of the calming setting of talking, Leliana declared they would rebuild the Inquisition of old from the Divine’s directive, and they wanted Juliet for help. Juliet accepted, and they shook hands for the agreement.

“Let’s get started then,” Juliet spoke confidently. Thus began the Inquisition.


	2. Calling Upon Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The forming of the Inquisition began spreading like wildfire and that was the main topic everyone was discussing a new force being led by the fabled Herald of Andraste, a woman, a mage with flowing fiery hair and the glowing hand. Some nobles wanted to be a part of the Inquisition and some wanted to end it.

Juliet and Cassandra walked through the great hall on the way to meet the advisors for the Inquisition. She still wondered why she had this mark on her hand and what else it could do besides closing the Breach. Juliet kept looking at her hand as they were walking and lost in her thoughts that she didn’t realize Cassandra was talking to her. “Does it trouble you? I can see the look on your face. Solas is doing everything he can to find out what it is and how to stop it from spreading." Cassandra reassured her. All she could do was nod and try to swallow her pride on how she was feeling, but it seemed Cassandra knew too well that there was something else wrong. Juliet must be an easy person to read, even though she tries to build walls around her to protect herself.

Juliet sighed and finally spoke, “Yes, it does. It didn’t close the Breach, but I hope I am doing the right thing. Cass, I don’t want to fuck-up, and everything goes wrong. I have lost too much to get to where I am now.” Cassandra nodded as she too knew what losing something precious is and what it can do to a person.

“Jules, I know that we haven’t known each other long, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I am here.” Cassandra smiled.

“Thanks, Cass. I needed this talk; I felt like I was about to explode.” Juliet chuckled. They began to laugh and continued walking to the room that was now the Inquisition's War Room, the same place that Cassandra and Chancellor had their disagreement. She took a deep breath and then opened the door to see Leliana, Cullen, and another woman with a clipboard, dressed in navy and gold attire. She felt eyes staring at her and saw that it was Cullen. He smiled at her, which made her feel more at ease with this meeting. What is it about him that made her feel so calm and so sure of herself? Could it be his smile, his sweet honey-colored eyes, or was it that she felt a connection to him? Cassandra acknowledges introducing the advisors to Juliet. Cullen was the Commander of the inquisition's soldiers, the other woman named Lady Josephine Montilyet, the Ambassador and Chief Diplomat, and Leliana the Spymaster. She was impressed by her advisors and how much Cassandra and Leliana had thought this through. “Impressive titles, and it is a pleasure to meet you all. Cass told me that you have already come up with a plan to seal the Breach?”

They knew that they were on a timer, and it was time to get things done. They didn’t know how much time they had until the Breach swallowed the world or until the mark would kill her. “As I said earlier that Solas stated that a second attempt should close the Breach completely provided you have more power behind the mark to seal it,” Cassandra responded.

“This means that we should approach the Rebel Mages for help. I could…” Leliana suggests. 

“And I still disagree,” Cullen argued her suggestion. Juliet could tell where his disagreement was going. “I still think we should go to the Templars instead. They could serve just as well." 

“We need power, Commander. Enough magic poured into that mark-'' Cassandra suggested. Juliet looks at Josephine, who was writing on the clipboard, as she was staying out of the argument. She turned her attention back to the trio arguing and see if she could add anything into anyone's defense. 

“Could destroy us all. The Templars can suppress the Breach and weaken it so-” Cullen argued.

“Pure speculation.” Leliana countered back. It seemed Leliana had no faith in the Templars either.

Cullen sighed, “I…I was a Templar,” he looked at Juliet before continuing, “I...know what they are capable of.” Juliet noticed that he looked disappointed in himself, or ashamed. She took a deep breath and knew just because he was a former Templar that it is not his fault for what happened to her at Ostwick. 

Josephine looks up from her clipboard, “Unfortunately, the group does not want to speak to us yet. The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition- and you specifically.”

Juliet sighs as she looks at Cassandra and Leliana, and they all knew who had spoken to the Chantry. “Well, that was quick. Do they think I still did it?”

“Shouldn’t they be busy arguing about who should be Divine?” Cullen expressed and looked at both Leliana and Cassandra. 

“They are calling you-a mage the ‘Herald of Andraste,’ and that frightens the Chantry.” Josephine gracefully vocalized. “The remaining clerics have declared it blasphemy, and us heretics for harboring you.” she shook her head as she went back to writing something down.

“Chancellor Roderick’s doing, no doubt,” Cassandra growled. Roderick was trying his best to stop the Inquisition from forming, but he failed because it was the Divine’s directive.

Josephine explains, “It limits our options. Approaching the mages or templars for help is currently out of the question.” Juliet thought of a plan in her head, but each came with a terrible outcome. All she could do was shake her head and began pacing back and forth.

“So I’m the problem, the Herald of Andraste? How am I the Herald of Andraste? Could we be attacked, and why are they not concerned about the giant ass hole in the sky?” Juliet questioned.

“People saw what you did at the temple, how you stopped the Breach from growing,” Cassandra answered. Juliet nodded and began rubbing her head. She continued, “They have also heard about the woman seen in the rift when we first found you. They believe it was Andraste."

“Even if we tried to stop that view from spreading-” Leliana suggested. Juliet was surprised that they would consider that to dissolve that.

“Which we have not,” Cassandra added.

“The point is…everyone is talking about you.” Leliana finished.

“It’s quite the title, isn’t it?” Cullen looked at Juliet and smiled before finishing. “How do you feel about that?” he asked.

 _‘Why does he make me feel so nervous?’_ Juliet thought. She did think about it, as she lost her title to the Trevelyan line when her magic revealed itself. “It’s different, but I do like it. Thank you, Commander, for the compliment,” she responded with a smile. When she thanked him, she could see Cullen turned red. Cullen cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck trying to relax his nerves. While Leliana and Josephine began giggling at him, Cassandra gave a disgusted sigh to the immature behavior in the room. Juliet realized she made him nervous, and she just created a game for the girls except for Cassandra.

Cullen clears his throat again and speaks, "Should we get back to the task at hand? What is possible for Juliet- I mean the Herald to do to give us access to talk to either group?” he asked without trying to embarrass himself even more. He didn't mean to slip and say Juliet’s name though he did love the sound of it. He could hear Josephine giggle. His embarrassment was now their entertainment, during the coming days. 

“There is something she can do,” Leilana answered then looked at Juliet, “A Chantry Cleric by the name of Mother Giselle has to speak with you. She is not far and does know those involved far better than I. Her assistance could be valuable,” she explained. “You will find Mother Giselle, in the Hinterlands tending to the wounded near Redcliffe.”

“Look for other opportunities to expand the Inquisition's influence while you are there as well,” Cullen suggested.

“I’ll see what she has to say,” Juliet agreed. She worried that the Inquisition could’ve been over before it even started, then she could’ve been the blame the world was ending.

“We need agents to extend our reach even beyond this valley.” Josephine expressed. “You are better than anyone suited to recruit them.”

“In the meantime, let’s think about more options. I won’t leave this all to Juliet.” Cassandra expressed.

“Thank you, Cass. I do appreciate that I have a chance to prove myself. We will leave for the Hinterlands in the morning and hopefully will return with good news.” Juliet suggested, then left the War Room. She walked to her cabin to begin packing. Finally, things were turning around for her, and now she could prove herself. As Juliet entered her cabin, she started to pack. During the process, she thought to herself if her parents or even her two older brothers heard of what she is doing. ‘ _Like her father or brothers would care, but she knew her mother would be proud of her.’_ She began to have tears form in her eyes from the memory that her father called her a monster on the day she had left for the Circle. Bann Alexander treated his sons far better than his daughter, and Juliet never knew why. To this day she still doesn’t know, maybe because she is a mage now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter 2! This is the beginning of the flirty relationship between Cullen and Juliet and the teasing game the girls enjoyed during the War Room. This is also the chapter before I will reveal why Juliet is so protective of her new family and herself.


	3. The Painful Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet couldn’t sleep, then someone comes to her rescue when she wakes up screaming and crying because of a memory haunting her.

While tossing and turning that night in bed, Juliet couldn’t sleep. The very memory she thought about earlier that day kept her awake at night. How long until she no longer would be tortured by it? The memory still felt like a fresh wound that never healed. No matter how many times she never thought about or even dreamt. Juliet got up from her bed to put on her robe and began pacing to try to think of something that would distract her. As she walked around her room, she held onto her necklace that her mother gave her. The pendant had sapphires surrounding the engraving of her name. It still smelled like lilies, her mother’s favorite flowers. It eased her mind for only a moment until the memory repressed itself again in her mind. Juliet grabs her head and screams with tears flowing down her face that wouldn’t stop.

Outside of Haven's Chantry, Cullen was doing a late patrol, trying to tire his mind. He was battling nightmares of his own. Only Cassandra knew about it and made her promise that she would keep it between them. As he walked by Juliet's cabin, he heard screaming coming from inside. He believed someone was trying to assassinate Juliet. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if she came to harm. He drew his sword as he ran inside. When he rushed in, he looked for an assassin but instead, he saw Juliet. She was in the middle of her floor, holding her head and screaming. Cullen dropped his sword and rushed to Juliet’s side, then checked to see if she was hurt. His heart screamed in agony for her. Juliet's nightmares were torturing her as well. He inhaled then spoke to notify his presence.

“Juliet,” he spoke. She didn't look up, answer, but continued to cry, “Juliet, it’s Cullen. Will you please look at me?” Cullen asked. She stopped crying and slowly looked up. He thought she would have looked shocked to see him, but instead, she looked scared. Juliet lunged into his arms and began sobbing once more. Cullen placed a hand on her back and began comforting her. “Juliet, it’s alright. I apologize for intruding. but I heard you scream, and I ran in here to protect you.” Cullen consoled. Juliet could only nod and then squeezed him as a thank you before letting go. She finally started breathing normally again as Cullen wiped her tears with a handkerchief. He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but he wanted to show her that he did have a soft side. “There, that’s better. I’m glad to see that you're alright. You frightened me.” Cullen expressed and smiled at her. 

“Thank you, Cullen. I-I didn’t mean to; I'm so sorry,” Juliet sympathized. She could see the tension in his face melt and watched it turn into a look of concern. She noticed that he was still looking for wounds then looked at her. Their eyes met, and she felt time froze around them. The glance felt like hours, but it was only for a few moments. His eyes were now amber. Hers was almost white but were fading back into the ice blue. Juliet smiled at him. He made everything that happened only moments ago seem like a different memory. 

“I don’t mean to pry, Juliet,” he cautioned. He looked at her for reassurance to see if he could call her by her first name. He saw her smile and turned pink. “But are you alright? Is it the mark or something else? If I can help, please let me know. I wouldn’t be an advisor for you if I didn’t help.” Cullen asked. She took a deep breath, then sighed. She didn’t want to burden him with her troubles, but she knew he was right.

“A memory, a rather painful one, still haunts me. No matter what I do, it doesn’t fade away,” Juliet explains as she stood up and took her robe off. She replaces it with the blanket off her bed. Cullen watched her movements and thought she moved swiftly, just like when she would cast a spell. After retrieving the blanket, she returned to sit with him. _‘She is a complete force of nature.'_ he thought, then he noticed her tattoo on her right shoulder blade. He couldn’t tell what it was, and he didn’t want to make an ass of himself. “Cullen?” Juliet asked. Her beauty in the firelight put him in a trance.

“Hmm? Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to look, but I noticed your tattoo. I hope you don’t mind me asking what it is? If that’s alright?” Cullen asked. Juliet began to giggle, and he knew she thought he was embarrassed by looking at her.

“It’s quite alright,” Juliet teased as she turned her back to him and slid the blanket down so he could see it. He began turning red because she was so forward about it. He saw it was a phoenix, engulfed in flames. It was beautiful, just like the person who had it. Cullen traced the design on her back, and she shivered at his touch. It made her feel at peace and warm by his touch. She didn't want him to stop. 

“Wow, it’s beautiful. Why a phoenix?” Cullen wondered. Juliet turned back around as she was red, almost the color of her hair.

“Thank you, and it's for my parents. When I was born I was stillborn. They thought I was already gone, but what they didn't expect was me coming to life. So I got the nickname Phoenix, but my two cousins called me Nix. It worked out for that being my nickname because of my flowing red hair.” she quipped as she flipped her hair. "Do you have any interesting tattoos?" She joked. Cullen shook his head as he raised the left sleeve of his shirt to show a lion's paw and explained it was the symbol of his family.

“That’s a beautiful sentiment. What memory keeps haunting you? I would like to suggest if talking about it might help. I’m willing to listen.” Cullen comforted her that he was there as a friend, instead, of the Commander of the Inquisition.

“It’s a long story, are you sure about this? I don’t mean to keep you awake.” Juliet reassured him. She would feel at fault for keeping him at this hour when he would possibly have training exercises in the morning. He nodded that he was willing to listen. “Alright, let me at least make the floor more comfortable for me. My ass is going numb,” she chuckled as she got up then heard Cullen laughing. “Are you laughing at me, Cullen?” he shook his head as he tries hiding his laughter. “Ass!” she insulted when she threw a pillow at him, then they both started laughing.

Juliet walks back to the fireplace and takes a deep breath. She lays her head on his shoulder and began telling Cullen the story of the day she was taken away. This was going to be a long night for the two, but it was the start of a beautiful relationship, that would turn into them falling harder for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello here is Chapter 3! Thank you if you still are reading this story I hope you are enjoying it so far! I always wondered how the Female or Male Mage Trevelyan felt if they were a mage in their family and how their family would feel about them having magical abilities. I kind of wished we could at least experienced when they were kids to see what it was like, plus I wanted to share a special moment between the Inquisitor and Cullen.


	4. The Trevelyan Disgrace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet tells Cullen of the memory that has been haunting her for the past twenty years and he is the first person she has ever revealed it to. She reveals that she and Queen Elissa are related. Cullen will tell a little bit about her when he first met her.

_It was twenty years ago, and my Uncle, my Aunt, and my two cousins were visiting us during the beginning of Summer Day. My father was handling private meetings with his fellow officials. My mother, Lillian, was showing my Aunt and Uncle the new renovations we had done. My older cousin, Fergus, was in the library when my cousin, Elissa, went to look for me. My brothers were running around the gardens practicing sword fighting when she found me in the gardens. Elissa and I were only eight at the time, which is the age for magic in a mage to happen in a child._

While looking at all the beautiful flowers, Elissa Cousland was looking for her cousin, as it had been since their birthdays they had seen each other last. She found her by her flaming red hair. “Hey, Nix! What are you doing out here?” she screamed while running to Juliet. Juliet turns around to be embraced by her cousin. When the two would reunite, people would mistake the two for twins because of their piercing ice-blue eyes. They were the only two in the entire family to have this icy color. They looked identical, and the only difference between the duo was their hair. Elissa had a snowy blonde color to her hair, and Juliet had fiery red to hers.

“Dove, I can’t believe you are here for Summer Day. This time for two weeks instead of a few days. Where are Uncle Bryce and Aunt Eleanor?” Juliet asked.

_Dove was Elissa's nickname that I called her since we were four._

“Oh, they’re with Aunt Lily. She's showing them our quarters for our time here, I was with them, but I managed to disappear and came to the gardens to find you," Elissa answered.

“I don’t know how you always manage to sneak off and get caught. The minute I would try and disappear, I would get caught then get a lecture for two hours by my father, with Maxwell and Jacob laughing at me.” Juliet chuckled as they began walking through the garden. She got lost in her thoughts, as she was hiding a secret. Elissa knew that something was wrong with her cousin.

_Whenever we were together, we had the same mind almost._ _Anytime something was wrong with either one of us, the other knew, and we could hide it from others. Elissa could figure it out within seconds while it took me a few minutes. I guess it's the rogue in her._

“Okay, I know that look, what’s wrong? Did Max or Jake do something? Because I could punch them in the face again.” she joked. Juliet slightly chuckles at her and remembered when they were only four, Max had pushed her, and Elissa punched him in the face; he had a black eye for two weeks.

“First, I want to show you something, then I will explain. Okay?” Juliet asked. Elissa nodded, Juliet grabbed her hand, and they ran through the gardens. _There was a private area that my father gave my mother and me as a joint Satinalia gift. That was my favorite time of day that was spending it with just my mother. She was the only other one besides Elissa that understood me. She was the only one who knew of my magical abilities when we first began planting the flowers in the garden. She saw me make a lily come in full bloom with just my mind, and she made me promise that I would keep my magic hidden because my father would try to harm me. We arrived at the secluded garden and saw the beauty of flowers. Elissa was in awe of the stunning ray of colors that surrounded us._

“Wow! It’s so beautiful here and smells so wonderful too!” Elissa squealed as she was taking in the flowers around them. She saw her favorite flower, red roses, and ran to it. _I started to pray as Elissa was distracted by the flowers. I prayed that the Maker would give me the strength to reveal the secret of being a mage._ “You planted my favorite flower! Thank you, Jules! It’s so pretty!” she squealed again and hugged her cousin.

“You’re welcome, and you can see that I planted mine beside yours,” Juliet pointed at the white roses, “That way, we both have flowers here, along with our mothers'."   


_I began to show her around the garden, and Elissa got more excited by the sight of it all. Now it was time for the moment of truth. I promised my mother that I wouldn’t speak of it, but I wanted to tell my best friend, who I trusted most in this world, about the secret that would change my life._

Juliet took a deep breath, then sighed, “Lissa, can we sit down and talk? Please?” she asked as she sat down. Elissa followed and sat beside her. Juliet began speaking, “Elissa, there is something wrong with me, and I swore to my mother that I wouldn’t reveal this about me. But I know I can trust you with this. Please don’t say anything until I show you.” _I looked at her and hoped she would agree and not be scared of me._ _ Elissa could only nod and waited to see what I was afraid of telling her. She was in awe of what I could do as I made the blaze jump to my other hand. Elissa watched as the snowflake dance in my hand and watched it dissolve in thin air. _

“Can I speak now?” Elissa chuckled, and Juliet nodded. “Honestly, Nix, that was phenomenal! Why would you think there’s something wrong with you? Juliet, this is a gift that is a blessing by the Maker for-” _Elissa was rambling as I started sobbing. Then she remembered, I am a Trevelyan, and we forbid magic._ “Oh no, Juliet, what are you gonna do?” she asked. _I knew I was doomed, and I'll be a disgrace to the family. Before I could answer Elissa’s question, I heard yelling and saw my brothers run into the garden with their wooden swords. I could already see what was about to happen, and within seconds it did. Jacob and Maxwell began to destroy the flowers. Everything was happening so fast that I didn’t realize that her hands were turning red in the fit of rage from my brothers’ idiocy. Elissa went to try and stop them before they would notice my hands, but it was too late. I hit Max with a snowball, and I could see that I made a mistake._

“HOW COULD YOU COME INTO THE GARDEN. YOU BOTH KNOW YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED IN HERE BECAUSE YOU TWO DESTROY EVERYTHING! EVERY TIME I HAVE SOMETHING, YOU TWO IDIOTS ALWAYS MANAGE TO DESTROY IT!” Juliet yelled. Tears streamed down her face.  _ Elissa ran to me as I began sobbing, and the garden started to die around me. _

“You threw a snowball at me, and this “garden” is dying around you. You’re the one that will be in trouble with Father! Then we can get rid of you for good. Come on, Jake! No wonder Father doesn’t love her. She’s a disgrace!” Maxwell retorted and began heading back to the manor with Jacob trailing behind. _Elissa wanted to chase after them to give them a taste of their own medicine, but she knew she couldn’t leave me in this state alone._

_It seemed like hours when Elissa and I were in the garden. I finally managed to calm down when Fergus found us, and it looked like he saw a ghost. I knew from the look on his face that the templars arrived and were looking for me. He joined us and began holding Elissa and me while we waited for them to find us. My father and the templars approached us._ “That freak is the one you're looking for. Be careful she could harm my niece or nephew!” Bann Alexander ordered as he pointed at Juliet. _How could my father call me a “freak”? I got up quietly and held my hands up to show I wasn’t going to try anything. I wanted to protect Elissa and Fergus to prove to my father and the templars that I would never harm them. Fergus held Elissa back so she would not interfere, and all Elissa could do was sob into his chest, as she was losing me because of a gift I had._ _ I looked over to my brothers and could see Maxwell and Jacob laughing at me when I was walking away, then I had seen my mother running, along with my Aunt and Uncle trailing behind her. _

“Wait! Please, let me say goodbye to my daughter! Please!” Lilian pleaded. Before the templars would allow it Alexander yelled at her.

“LILIAN! I forbid you to speak nor touch that monster!” Alexander demanded. _Now I was a monster?_

“I don’t give a damn, Alex! She should at least have a proper goodbye from the one parent that loved her than his spoiled sons!” Lilian barked. She was known to never back down to her husband. Her brother, Bryce, was stunned to see her act that way, but he understood why she did it. “Now, please let me say goodbye to my daughter.” The templars allowed it, but for only for a few minutes. Alexander scoffed and retreated to the castle with his sons behind him.

_I ran to her and began apologizing, and all she could do was hug me. My mother placed something in my cloak, and it was my locket. It has my name engraved on it, with sapphires surrounding it. She spoke a little rhyme to me that could only be a spell, even though my mother showed no magical ability: “Wherever you go, you will always be together. When the sapphires glow, the other will know that you are closer to each other.” I hugged my mother and waved goodbye to my cousins, along with my Aunt and Uncle._ _ Holding onto the pendant, began the journey to my new life. I would be spending my time there until the Conclave. To this day, I still don’t know what the rhyme my mother said to me meant, and I continue to ask myself to this day. _

“So there you have it, that is my tragic beginning of being a mage. I suppose you have questions to ask?” Juliet asked Cullen, who was sitting by her while she twiddled the locket in her hands. Juliet lays her head on Cullen's shoulder and waits for Cullen to ask any questions since telling him that story.

“Uhh…yes, Elissa Cousland is your cousin?” Cullen began asking. He knew of Elissa when she saved the Circle tower ten years ago.

“Yes, the fabled Hero of Ferelden, the Queen, and Warden-Commander, is my cousin. Her father was my mother’s brother. Shocking, right?” Juliet remarked. “Anything else?”

"Yes, Elissa saved my life ten years ago when the Circle was under attack by abominations. I was sort of an ass to her, and I never got to apologize to her." Cullen responded as he squeezed Juliet's hand. They felt a shock sent through both of them that left them a little stunned. They both laughed at each other's faces before Cullen continued speaking, “I’m sorry that you had to endure that pain from your father and brothers. Juliet, that wasn’t fair to you. You were just a child, and the way they spoke to you was uncalled for." He knew that he wasn’t at fault, but now he knew why Juliet was protective of herself.  He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her. He thought this would make her feel better, and it did. She breathed a sigh of relief that someone was there and saw her as a human being instead of a freak like her father or brothers called her. Juliet caught the scent of Cullen, and he smelled like leather and oak. It made her want to melt into his arms, but she didn’t want to seem to forward about it or make a fool of herself to him.

“Thank you, Cullen, for everything tonight. I was a damsel in distress, and you saved me.” Juliet smiled then realized she couldn’t believe she said that. _‘Now I’m an idiot!’_ she smacked her hand to her forehead, and Cullen couldn’t help but laugh.  She hits him with a pillow as she tries to get up, but once she stood up, Cullen grabbed her hand. He pulls her back down. He lands on top of her, hoping not to crush her with his weight, and looked into her icy blue eyes with his amber eyes before speaking.

“Is that the thanks I get for saving you, my lady?” Cullen asked. Juliet gulped and tries to weasel her way out of his grip, but to no avail, she couldn’t move. “You can try with all your might, but you won’t succeed. Now, be a good girl and apologize.” Cullen grinned at her as she rolled her eyes at him.

Juliet knew she had no other choice, she swallowed her pride, “Fine! I apologize, my noble knight, for hitting you with feathers in this pillow. Now, as a token of my thanks, please get off!” she pleaded. Cullen laughed as he let go of her and helped her off the ground. He couldn’t resist making her laugh, and  _ Maker, _ he loved her laugh. Something about her made him want to hold her and kiss her, but he didn’t know why?

“See, that wasn’t hard, was it? Now, I must depart and try to get some rest before Cass has my head.” Cullen bowed and before opening the door, Juliet stopped him.

Juliet hugged him and whispered, “Thank you, again, Cullen.”

He squeezed her for a second, to take in her embrace. The aroma of her scent of lilies and vanilla entered his nose. He let her go and opened the doorway. He grabbed Juliet’s hand, “It was a pleasure. Goodnight, _my lady_.” He began walking to his cabin, near the Chantry. Juliet closed the door, propped on it as she was at a loss for words. She couldn’t stop grinning, as she felt her face, it was burning. How long was she blushing like a schoolgirl? She knew that she would sleep better tonight and get ready for her journey to the Hinterlands. Juliet crawled into her bed and snapped her fingers. The flames disappeared from their candlesticks and the room went dark. Juliet went into a deep sleep with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is a very long chapter and this chapter is what I focused on the most because I wanted to show why Juliet is a phoenix and why she is afraid to let people down because of the PTSD of what her father called her and her brothers said to her all her life before being taken away to the Circle in Ostwick.


	5. The Horsemaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet and her companions head to everyone's favorite place in all of Thedas, the Hinterlands. They meet Scout Harding and see how bad the war between Templars and Mages has become and meet Mother Giselle about the information she has that can help the Inquisition.

The party of Cassandra, Varric, Solas, and Juliet began their trek to the Hinterlands, which took two days at least. When leaving Haven, Juliet notices Cullen commanding the recruits; she waves goodbye to him as they begin walking to the gates. As they ventured to the Hinterlands, Varric and Juliet discussed the _Tale of the Champion,_ Solas reread his notes, and Cassandra took in the beauty of the colorful leaves. As they were getting closer to the Hinterlands camp, they had met the lead scout of the Inquisition, Scout Lace Harding. She had informed them of the Templar and Mage war affecting the area and were trying to secure mounts, but the war has made it impossible to do. Harding didn't know if the horse master, Dennett, known to have the best horses, could be alive. She informed Juliet that Mother Giselle was down at the Crossroads taking care of the refugees. The team started heading down to the location of where Mother Giselle was. She hoped that the fighting wasn't near where the refugees were, but they were almost too late.

During the fight, the group pleaded with the mages that they weren't templars, but the mages continued to fight them. Juliet had no choice; they had to stop the mages. Next came the templars, and they were charging towards Solas and Juliet. Varric shot an arrow, which split into multiple bolts to eliminate the templars. The archers fell, but the templar guard was still a threat. “Shit! The guard’s shield protected him from that shot!" Varric yelled. Juliet remembered one of her training books about a shatter spell, but it required a cross-class combo for it to work.

“My turn! Cass, follow my lead!” Juliet yells as she fades steps to the guard and waits for Cassandra to join her. The guard starts coming towards her, and as she hits him with an ice spell causing him to freeze. “Cass now! Hit him with your shield!” Juliet ordered, and Cassandra followed. She did a shield bash causing the guard to shatter. From a distance, Varric and Solas looked at each other, as both were shocked seeing that movement work. Juliet and Cassandra high fived each other for the dual combat they did. Now they knew that this was a perk to defeat enemies with large shields.

“Well, shit, Nix, that was impressive! How did you know that would work?” Varric chuckled as he walked toward them. Solas was assisting the other mages with healing the soldiers, and Juliet shrugged her shoulders and grinned.

“Well, I remembered about it in one of the books at the Ostwick's Circle, so I just figured it would. With how hard Cassandra hits with her shield, I just put them together and prayed it would work. Now, since the fighting is over, let’s find Mother Giselle.” Juliet suggested as she pointed at the relief tent. As they arrive nearby the tent, she nods to a few of the villagers and sees a revered mother tending to a wounded soldier. She is asking him to let the mages help heal his wounds, he began to refuse, and she helped him understand that they were there to help. “Mother Giselle?” Juliet asked. The woman nodded to her question as Juliet was grateful that they found her here, unharmed. “I understand you wanted to see me, and you have information that could help?” Juliet finished. She hoped the information Giselle had was beneficial to them and was not set-up by the remaining clerics. Mother Giselle guided Juliet away from prying eyes as she and her companions followed.

“I know of the Chantry’s denouncement, and familiar with those behind it. Some are grandstanding, and some are hoping this will increase their chances of becoming the new Divine. So many good people, senselessly taken from us-” Mother Giselle’s voice trailed off, holding back the tears. Juliet looked to the skies and took a deep breath to hold back her tears, as she does know what losing someone is like, even though hers is different.

“It was a tragedy. What happened was horrible.” Juliet said softly. Hoping this would help some of the pain.

“Fear makes us desperate, but hopefully not beyond reason.” Mother Giselle smiled and continued on the information. “Go to the remaining clerics and convince them that you are not a demon that they should fear. They have only heard of frightening tales about you. Give them something else to believe in.”

“Will that work by appealing to them? Won’t that make it worse?” Juliet asked.

“Why because you are a mage? Could it be worse than it already is?” Giselle responded to Juliet’s question with a question.

“That too. And probably yes.” Juliet agreed to it. She did know that her being a mage made her even more frightful to non-magic people.

“I honestly don't know if you have been touched by fate or sent to help us, but I hope. Hope is what we need now more than ever, and the people will listen to your rallying call, as they will to no other. You could build the Inquisition into a force that will either deliver us or possibly destroy us. I will go to Haven and provide Sister Leliana the names of those in the Chantry that would be amenable to a gathering. I know it's not much, but I will do whatever I can to help.” Before walking away, Juliet thanks her and says she has already done enough. Before they could leave the Crossroads, they helped Corporal Vale with retrieving supplies for the refugees. As they finish with the last crate, the team starts to head to where Dennett could be.

On the journey to where Dennett was, they ran into numerous fade rifts and some small forces of templars and mages. "I hope Dennett hasn't been affected by this war. We need to end this before more people get hurt." Juliet spoke when they reached Redcliffe Farms, where Scout Harding marked Juliet's map on Dennett's location. Before reaching where he was, they were attacked by wolves that showed more aggression than any normal wolf. Their eyes glow green, and it made Juliet feel uneasy, "Please tell me someone else noticed the wolves' eyes?" Juliet asked.

"Yes, I did notice. No normal wolf would attack with such determination though something doesn't feel right here," Cassandra responded.

"Maybe the Breach drove them into a frenzy, or a demon might have taken control of the pack. We need to investigate further before it becomes a nightmare." Solas stated.

"Chuckles, this whole damn thing is a nightmare, and I feel like drinking a whole barrel of the first thing I see in the tavern when we get back," Varric jokes.

They arrive at the Horsemaster's house, and Juliet knocks on the door. They walked in and saw a man sitting at a table that had to be Dennett. "Hello sir, are you by chance Dennett? If so, we are from the Inquisition, my name is Juliet, and this is Cassandra, Solas, and Varric. We would like to ask if you could supply mounts for us?" Juliet asked.

"Indeed I am, and I can provide mounts for you all, but I can't up and leave. I need to take care of the issues we have here. I'm sure you have seen the trouble with the wolves and how the war is getting closer here? I worry that if I leave, that will happen, and so I ask if you can say it's a favor for a favor? You help me, and I will supply the mounts you need," Dennet offered.

Juliet looked at the others to acknowledge any opinions, "That seems like a fair deal. We will help in any way we can in return for your help as well," Juliet accepted, and they shook hands. Dennett told her to look for his wife and his manager of the farms. He offered Juliet a horse that was outside the stables as a thank you for helping. The horse was a Ferelden Forder, a chestnut brown color, and she named him Chestnut. After helping build the watchtowers, the group heads to the cave where the wolves were. When they arrived, they could see that Solas was, in fact, right about a demon taking control of the pack.

After they finished both jobs for Dennett's wife and manager, he agreed and would be at Haven in two days. Juliet and her companions were ready to leave and were ready to deal with the remaining clerics. The group enters the two tents to prepare for the journey back to Haven.

Upon arriving midday in Haven, Juliet noticed that Cullen wasn't at his usual spot training the soldiers. _‘Hmm, he might be in the War Room, waiting to hear the results from the Hinterlands.’_ Juliet thought. As she begins to head to her cabin to drop off her bag, she hears a commotion outside near the Chantry, "What in the Maker's name is going on?" she whispers as she grabs her staff. She runs up the stairs to see two groups having a dispute, and has a feeling it would go wrong.

"It's your fault the Divine is dead!" spat the Mage. Juliet walks closer to the group with her hand resting on her staff.

"Our fault? Your _kind_ are the ones that killed her!" yells the Templar as he draws his sword. Juliet notices Cullen gets between the two bickering men, and she joins him. As she faces the Mage with her staff, Juliet casts a barrier around her and Cullen and shakes her head to the mage. Cullen doesn't notice that Juliet is back to back with him, until he feels a slight pulse of energy going through his veins and feels her small stature to his back. The groups were shocked to see Cullen and Juliet standing there to separate them. "Knight-Captain!"

"That is my title no longer, nor are we just templars and mages. We're a part of the Inquisition. Now all of you get a grip and go back to where you originally were. NOW!" Cullen ordered. As everyone returns to their previous posts, Juliet dissolves the barrier that she cast to protect her and Cullen. "Thank you, Jules. Even though you didn't have to," Cullen thanked. Before Juliet could return the welcome, Chancellor Roderick returned and tried to start an argument with Cullen. Juliet learned from Leliana and Cassandra how to shut him up quickly.

"Well, Chancellor, you see, the Commander and I need to head to the War Room before Cassandra has our heads. Ta-ta!" Cullen looked confused when Juliet grabbed his arm and walked into the Chantry together, leaving Roderick stunned. Juliet notices Cullen looking at her and stops in her tracks, "What? Oh! You're welcome, by the way." she starts smiling before Cullen responds to her question.

"You have been spending too much time with Cass." Cullen started laughing as he shook his head. Juliet was going to retort back to his comment, but she decided she would walk off instead. She knew she wouldn't win an argument with him. As they reach the door to the War Room, Cullen steps in front of her to open it. She smiles at him and has a smile on her face until they both see all of the girls smirking at them.

_Oh shit!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing to read this story and I hope you are enjoying it! I wanted to add a little more to the dispute between the templars and mages outside the Chantry when the Herald returns, especially if the Herald was a mage I kind of wanted them to intervene just to show they were all working together as a team.


	6. The Threat Remains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After returning from the Hinterlands, Juliet and the advisors come up with a plan for her to talk to the remaining clerics that are holding a protest in Val Royeaux, the capitol of Orlais. She will ask for some help with the training of battle and wants a certain Commander to offer his assistance.

Once opening the doors to the War Room, Juliet and Cullen see Josephine and Leliana giggling at them. They both clear their throats and go to their places in the War Room, as Cassandra begins explaining what they found during their time in the Hinterlands. After Cassandra finishes speaking, Juliet follows what was next, but everyone has concerns on the matter. "I need to meet with the remaining clerics, but I don't know where they are." Juliet looks to everyone in the room, waiting for one of them to speak.

Cullen is reading a report to distract himself, and he slowly looks up to see her icy blue eyes staring at him, _'Those eyes of hers are captivating, and I could get lost in them. She’s so beautiful. Why would her father think she is a monster?'_ Cullen smiles at her, and waits for her to do the same. He loved seeing her smile.

"Mother Giselle informed me that they are meeting in Val Royeaux, holding a protest against you. Juliet, are you sure that it is wise for you to be going alone?" Leliana asked. The advisors were worried that this could be a setup to end the Inquisition.

"I will go with her, Leliana," Cassandra explains. Before Juliet could speak, Cassandra points her finger at her, "You know as well as I that this is not up for debate, Nix. We know you are capable of going alone, but who knows what will happen." Juliet starts to laugh at Cassandra because she sounded like a mom, disciplining her child for getting into the cookie jar. Cassandra notices her laughing, "Juliet, this isn't funny. Why are you laughing?"

"I wasn't going to argue with you, Cass. I was going to thank you."

"Val Royeaux is a four-day journey, so I would advise leaving in the morning. You have time to rest and prepare. Meeting concluded?" Leliana asked. Everyone agreed as the meeting finished, and all went their separate ways.

As Juliet enters her lodgings, she begins to unpack her bag. She places books she found while scouting in the Hinterlands on her shelf. After cleaning, she lays on her bed to rest. Before she is almost asleep, a knock alerts her. Juliet rises to fix her hair as she opens the door she sees Cullen standing there. "Cullen, come in. Is everything alright?" she asks. Cullen walks in and begins pacing until he hears the door close to answer her question.

"Uhh- I just want to make sure that you weren't upset about earlier," Cullen admitted. Juliet was shocked by how he thought she could be upset with him, but she knew he was doing his job as her advisor.

"No, I'm not upset, Cullen. We have a right to be worried about this meeting," Juliet smiles as she walks over to Cullen, "I need a favor if you don't mind?" She remembered while battling a few templar guards that she kept getting knocked down with their shields. Juliet knew that she needed to train, and Cullen was the perfect choice to help her.

Cullen cleared his throat, and started rubbing the back of his neck. She began to laugh at him being nervous and saw how red he was turning. She knew she made him nervous just like he made her blush, "Cullen, relax. I was going to ask if you could help me train? While we were in the Hinterlands, we ran into groups of templars, and some of them had large shields, and-" Before Juliet could finish, she heard Cullen laughing, "What is so funny?"

"You kept getting knocked down, didn't you? Why aren't you asking Cass?" Cullen chuckled. Juliet glared at him, punched him in the arm, then started walking away, "Ouch, Jules, I'm just kidding. Come here, you!" Cullen grabbed Juliet's hand, and pulled her close to him, again their eyes met, his honey-ambered eyes to her icy blue eyes. She continued to glare at him before he could apologize to her hoping to make her smile. "Jules, I'm sorry about laughing at you. I will help in any way I can if you still want my help?"

Juliet narrowed her eyes at him, "You're an ass, but yes I would like your help." He nodded as she kissed him on the cheek to accept his apology. Cullen began to feel his cheeks go warm from the sudden kiss. He was amazed at how she had transformed her necklace into her staff. They walked out the door to begin their first training session.

This was the first time they would start training together, it would become a regular thing whenever she would return from her journeys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This chapter is split into a few extra parts because this is sort of a long chapter. This chapter is focused on both Juliet's and Cullen's POV. I wanted to add some training between the two to add more chemistry that is growing between them.


	7. Training Session and Deals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet and Cullen begin training together outside of Haven away from prying eyes. They both will learn a little bit more about each other's past. The pair share a special moment. On that night, she encounters someone she didn't expect to see after twenty years in the Fade.
> 
> Elissa's journey to find the cure of the Calling takes her back to a place where she hasn't been years. She is soon welcomed by a familiar face that she thought she was long rid of. Are they the key to curing her and her love? She will learn a secret about her and Juliet that raises many more questions.

After they leave Juliet's cabin, they walk to a clearing Juliet found after the Inquisition is reborn to clear her head, it wasn't far from Haven, but it was away from prying eyes. The area was near the frozen lake and had plenty of trees to create a ring shape for them to practice. Cullen could see why Juliet loved being here, as it was peaceful but also breathtaking. "Maker's breath, it's beautiful here. How did you find this place?" he asked. Cullen noticed Juliet hadn't responded to him, and he thought she was probably regretting asking for him to help. "Jules?" Juliet stood a few feet away from him, and she could feel the chill of the wind blowing through the touch of her face. Her flowing red hair blew to the wave of the air, and she took a couple of deep breaths before speaking to Cullen.

"I need a minute. Before you ask if I'm regretting asking for your help, don't worry. I'm grateful that you agreed. Another memory came to mind I'm fine," Juliet answered. This memory is one she has been trying to forget ever since it happened. After thirteen years, the permanent scar never healed. It would be with her forever, and she would see it every day. She soon felt Cullen's gloved hand wipe away a tear that streamed down her face, "Thank you, Cullen."

"You're welcome, my lady," Cullen smiled as he planted a kiss on Juliet's cheek. He saw her blush, but he knew that they needed to begin training. "Are you ready to start Nix?" Juliet smiled at him that he used her nickname for the first time, and she began to clear her head so she could focus on the lesson.

"Bring it on, Curly!" Juliet chuckles and goes into her battle stance. Cullen hated the nickname Varric gave him, but he let out a slight chuckle when he heard Juliet say it. Cullen rolls his eyes and starts correcting a few things he sees. First, on how her footwork. Next, he moves on to how she is too predictable when she would cast a spell. Juliet didn't suspect she made that many errors during a battle. After today this would help prepare her for the next fight. 

"Nix, you always do a fire spell rather than an ice spell first, as your fire spells are the strongest, so you need to save them for last," Cullen instructed. His next lesson was to see how she performed in battle, "You ready to duel?" Juliet was ready to duel, but her fears began to make her doubt herself. The memory of her father calling her a monster replays in her mind. Could she possibly hurt Cullen and be the monster her father had claimed her to be, or let those fears give her strength? 

"Yeah, but Cullen, what if I hurt you? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself-oh fuck!" Juliet didn't realize what she said until she felt the heat rise to her cheeks. _Andraste's ass! I probably look stupid!_ She starts to pace back and forth until she notices Cullen, who is redder than she is. "Hehe uhh...I uhh..." Juliet choked up by the words hung in her throat.

"Jules, it's alright. You can cast a barrier spell on us, as you did before. Therefore neither of us won't get hurt," Cullen insisted. Juliet nodded and did a barrier spell with a snap of her fingers, then waited to see if it took effect on Cullen. She soon saw the small wisps dance around his form. They both took deep breaths and were ready to begin the duel.

Cullen noticed the training tips he had given Juliet helped her perform during the duel. What he did not expect was her correcting a few of his mistakes too, "You lean too much when you do your upward strike with your sword!" she yells. Juliet used her spell to fade step, he tried to trip her to catch her, but she tricked him into falling instead. He sees her offer to help him stand, but he has a better idea.

When he took her hand, he made her fall into the snow beside him, they both started to laugh. He looks at her, seeing the way her long red curls looked in the snow, and how her blue eyes shined with the glistening of the sun. He wanted to kiss her, but he didn't until he felt soft lips against his own. The taste of vanilla and the scent of lilies caused him to embrace her closer to his chest. Juliet could feel his stubble touch her face and take in his scent of oak and leather. They both knew they needed to stop, but they also wanted more of each other.

After a few more lingering kisses, they finally catch their breaths as Cullen and Juliet laid against a tree. He hears Juliet's teeth chatter and remembers that she isn't used to Ferelden. He chuckles as he takes off his fur mantle and wraps it around her to keep her warm; Juliet smiles that she maybe had found her happiness after all. She looks up to see that he hasn't stopped looking at her and then feels him plant a kiss on her head that gives her a sense of comfort. "Cullen, how did you know you wanted to become a templar?" she asks when she placed her head on his chest, and she could feel him take a deep breath before speaking.

"I couldn't think of no better calling than to protect those in need. I used to beg the templars at our local Chantry to teach me. At first, they did it to humor me, but I must've shown promise or at least a willingness to learn. The Knight-Captain spoke to my parents on my behalf, and they agreed to send me for training. I was thirteen when I left," Cullen explained. He could feel Juliet stiffen when he told her his age when he left his family. "Jules, I know, thirteen was a young age for me, but there are some children sworn into infancy. Yes, we did miss our families, but we learned to look out for one another." He hears small sobs, and he looks down to see Juliet trying to hold back her tears, but to no avail, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "Jules, look at me, what's wrong?" Cullen lifted her chin for her to look at his face, "Please tell me, what's wrong?"

Juliet took a deep breath and looked at him, "Cullen...I believe that you were a part of the side of what the templars were about, but I've had my share of the bastards that most of them are," Juliet sobs. This part was going to drain her, but she knew that she could no longer contain it. "When I was fifteen, I was in my quarters studying for an upcoming lesson when the templar guard that was in charge of me had told me that my Grand Enchanter wanted to see me. To talk about how I was excelling in my studies..." Juliet stops as a tear slides down her cheek, and she feels Cullen wipe it away with a pained expression on his face. "But...but it was a trick, my templar guard and two others..raped me...no matter how hard I begged and screamed, no one came to my rescue nor did they stop..." Juliet cries. Cullen pulled her closer to him and held her when she continued sobbing, and he felt helpless that he couldn't take her pain away.

"Juliet, look at me. I promise you I will always be there to protect you. I will always be here for you, my beautiful bird," Cullen smiles and kisses her forehead, and he sees the beautiful smile that made him fall for her. "You are such a beautiful sight, those blue eyes, and your sweet smile." They sit there a few more hours until it starts to get dark, then head towards Haven.

They arrive at her cabin, he bows his head to her as he plants a kiss on her hand, and he heads to his lodgings. As she enters inside, she starts to pack for the trip to Val Royeaux. Once she finishes packing her bags, she walks over to her bed and lies down, drifting off to sleep. That night, in her dreams, left her facing someone she believed she wouldn't see again. Juliet didn't know if it was a trick by a demon, or was it her cousin standing in front of her? Could it be a sign for the Phoenix and Dove to reconcile?

Juliet enters the dream world, the Fade, and begins to explore the importance of why she was there. She's greeted by a hooded figure waiting for her, and Juliet continues to walk down, soon is face-to-face with the mysterious person, who bows to her and waits for Juliet to do the same. Juliet repeats the same motion but still is unsure if this was a demon or a spirit, and she knew she needed to be watchful of what it wanted. “Remember this could be a demon trying to trick you,” Juliet kept repeating that to herself from what Lydia taught her before she had her Harrowing. "Before we continue, I would like to ask for you to remove your hood, and I won't have to use my magic. Deal?" she demanded, and the hooded figure nodded in agreement. She still prepared herself no matter the cost, but nothing could prepare her for who it could be. "Elissa? Is that you?" Juliet is startled by seeing her cousin standing in front of her, but before she could embrace her, she had to ask only a question Elissa would know. "If you are truly Elissa, what do we call each other?" she ordered.

"Nix is yours, and Dove is mine," Elissa smiled. "Jules, I know this seems strange, but we don't have much time. Do you remember what Aunt Lily told you when you left for the Circle? I believe it's a spell meant for us because of our necklaces. If it is a spell, we need to say it together now, and we don't have much time Nix." she pleaded, but Juliet was still unsure how they would do it because Elissa is not a mage.

"Lissa, if it is a spell, how are we going to do it? You're not a mage, and I don't know if I have enough mana to do this," she explains to her, but she was curious to see if it was true. "There's only one way for us to see if it is a spell." Juliet looks at Elissa as she holds out her hands, waiting for Elissa to join her. They joined hands, then closed their eyes, and spoke the incantation.

_Wherever we go, we will always be together. When the sapphires glow, the other will know that we are closer to each other._

As they start the chant, the sapphires start glowing, they begin to feel a sense of pain on their backs, and their tattoos start to sting. After the spell was complete, they both looked at their necklaces and saw that the gems glowed with a blue light that matched the color of their eyes. "It was a spell, but how did my mother know it would work? She doesn't have magical abilities. I'm the only one that has magic in the family," Juliet is puzzled by what happened, but she thought once she wakes up, she could go ask Solas if he would know anything. "Elissa, what do we do now?" Elissa was as baffled as she was, but she did know that it was time to say goodbye.

"Right now, I am trying to find a cure, and I must do this first, and you have matters of your own to handle. Don't worry, Nix, everything will fall into place, I promise, but this goodbye for now." Elissa hugs Juliet and starts to disappear.

Juliet's jolts awake lays on her bed, still thinking if everything that happened in the Fade was a dream. She starts to pace around her room, rubbing her temples when she notices her necklace is glowing in the mirror. She turns around in her mirror to see what happened to her back, and she doesn't see anything different until her tattoo catches her eye. The phoenix in her tattoo now has a snowy white feather inside the bundle of the flaming sunset ones. _Did the spell cause one of Elissa's feathers to join mine, and did it do the same as hers?_ She wonders as she finishes the last preparations for her journey, Juliet holds her necklace, as she remembers that they made a promise. "It's a promise, Dove!" saying as she walks out the door.

Somewhere outside the Frostback Mountains, Warden-Commander, Elissa, is packing up her camp to continue her journey to find a cure for the Calling; she had been away from her King for two years with no luck. Elissa thinks back to the time she the first time she traveled with Alistair, and she knew it would be the beginning of their adventure. Their party of him, her, Daveth, and Ser Jory, two men who were also recruited by Duncan, her mentor. Three good men, who died, and taught her so much. She continues thinking of the memory until she remembers coming across a plant that helped cure a sick Mabari hound in Ostagar. The flower's location is in the Korcari Wilds, but the darkspawn taint could've poisoned the land there. She had no other choice, so she begins heading south of Ferelden to the Wilds.

As she enters the swamp, she sees how much the taint has damaged the area. Elissa thinks back to the last time she was there, with her Mabari, Fang, was searching for Morrigan, a great friend that helped save her and Alistair's life. She promised Morrigan that she would find her again, she did, but Morrigan slipped again from her grasp. Elissa arrives at a hut that was familiar to her, and she sees it had not changed since she was there to start her journey. _Strange, I can sense the magic that still lingers here, but how?_

She remembers the owner of this house, who was no longer alive, and who it was. The one from legend, Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds; that name Elissa had not heard in years. As she approaches the door, she gets a sense that she is being watched, "I can sense someone is watching me. Come out from where you're hiding. Now!" she growls as she takes the swords off her back. A figure emerges from the shadows, and Elissa couldn't believe who it was, as she sees the Witch of the Wilds, standing in front of her. "Flemeth...how are you even alive?"

Flemeth laughs at Elissa, which made her skin crawl, "Hello, my dear, it's good to see that you are doing well. Yes, I am alive, but that's my little secret for now," she winks and begins walking around Elissa. Flemeth points one of her dragon-like fingers as she continues taunting her, "Why aren't you sitting by your King? Don't you have everything that you could ever want? What could you possibly want more of than that? Oh, I see, you are looking for a cure for the Blight."

Elissa wondered how Flemeth could be alive and sighs before speaking. "How is it possible that you knew that? Yes, I'm looking for a Wilds’ flower that used to be here. Do you know where one could be?" she asked. She knew that she was going to regret it later. Flemeth stood quiet for a moment, and Elissa saw her wicked grin flashed across her face. _Yeah, I’m going to regret this._ Elissa decides to put her blades away and waits for Flemeth to strike a deal. “Flemeth, I know you have the desire to make a deal, so name your price. You have done this before, and I know there’s always a price when it comes to asking for help.”

Flemeth laughs again, causing Elissa to squirm once more, “I have a better idea for my _price_ , consider this free of charge? I give you the flower for you to take, and I will tell you of a secret that could change yours and Juliet’s destinies? Sound fair?” Flemeth grins as she sees Elissa's facial expression change. Elissa's eyes go wide as she hears Juliet's name escape Flemeth's lips. Many thoughts race through her mind, such as _'how does she know Juliet’s name, and is this a fair deal?'_ “I bet you are wondering, how do I know about Juliet? I have heard about this Inquisition she is part of, and I know what entails for you, her, and two others. Elissa, did you know that you and Juliet are identical twins?" Flemeth asks, and Elissa is puzzled by how that could be possible. “Yes, I know it seems odd for her to have magical abilities when you do not," she continues explaining to her.

Flemeth could see that she now has Elissa's attention, and Elissa was shocked if what she was saying could be true? "In your family, you have ancestors that were twins. You two were the second set in the Cousland line to be twins, and Juliet is not the first mage-born into the family, but the second. In the Cousland family tree, the first set of twins that were born were almost like you and Juliet," Flemeth casts a spell, and the Cousland Family tree appears in front of Elissa. She shows Elissa where Juliet is a Cousland, then proceeds on explaining, “The first twins were brothers, and when they were both eight; one of them showed his magical abilities. It stated, the one with the magic would pass it onto the next set of twins, and it would continue down the line. The reason for you two to be separated, I fear that I do not know."

Elissa studies the family tree once more, taking in everything she has heard from Flemeth, and as the information began to swarm through her mind, she could only nod to the lecture. "Flemeth, why aren't you asking for something in return?" she asks and hears the witch sigh.

"Because you deserve to know the truth as well as Juliet. Elissa, this is my price, after everything you have been through, so it's time for the wind's change in direction in your favor. There are a few more things. Here's your family tree, you can show it to Juliet, and that way you have it as proof. Along with this,” Flemeth hands Elissa the parchment of her family line and the Wilds’ flower. “Elissa, you will need to crush the flower petals into your drink for this to work, and I suggest you wait until Alistair is with you for it to work.”

Elissa nods and places the items in her bag, “Thank you, Flemeth. I must be off and find my sister. Thank you for everything.” she gives a hug to Flemeth. Elissa waves goodbye and uses her necklace to be her compass to finding her twin. Flemeth lingers by her old hut, watching Elissa leave to find her missing piece. Once Elissa was out of sight, Flemeth then snapped her fingers, and flames had taken over the hut. Elissa hears a dragon roar from afar, and she looks up at a maroon dragon flying above her. She waves goodbye once more and leaves to find Juliet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to start this part completely over and give it some changes, Elissa's POV and her journeys to find the cure for the Calling have been added. There will be more chapters that will have only Elissa's POV. Thank you for reading this, and I apologize for starting it completely over on this chapter.


	8. Addressing The Chantry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The journey to handle the clerics becomes a challenge, but Juliet knows to get allies to help her seal the Breach, they will need to get this under control first. Following the meeting of the clerics, she is met by the two leaders of the Rebel Mages and the Templars, one of the leaders is from Cassandra's past who she was expecting to see in many years.

During the journey to Val Royeaux, Juliet was still thinking about the night she had the strange dream of her and Elissa even if it wasn't a dream. The sapphires' glow faded when they left Haven. Juliet was still unsure of what to make of it, and she wanted to tell someone what happened to her that night, but it made her worry that she would have to persuade Elissa to come to her. She knew Elissa was on a quest of her own to find the cure for the Calling. Juliet kept spinning her locket while lost in her thoughts, thinking about what it could mean. Cassandra could see that Juliet was bothered, and she thought of what she should say until something caught her eye, Juliet's pendant. She had noticed Juliet would turn it whenever she had seemed nervous, "Juliet, where did you get your necklace?" she asked.

Juliet chuckles, "Here," she took the necklace off and handed it to Cassandra, so she could get a closer look at it before explaining, "My mother gave this locket to me when I left for the Circle. The sapphires represent my birthstone, and my name was engraved after I was born. My cousin and I share our necklaces as a set, but hers has her name on it instead," she explained briefly before continuing, "I have had it with me for the past twenty years, and it hasn't left my side."

Cassandra had a smile on her face when looking at the charm, as she ran her finger atop of it before handing it back to Juliet. "It's quite beautiful, Jules, to have something so important to be with you for so long is inspiring." Juliet blushed by the compliment that she received by Cassandra. _Who knew the Seeker could be so poetic?_ "I did notice that you turn it when you seem nervous or stressed. Is everything alright, Jules?" she asked her.

"Thank you, Cass. Everything is fine, or I don't know. Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course, is it about this talk with the clerics or the mark?"

Juliet shook her head, "No, it's more of a dream I had a few nights ago, Cass, you know how I said that my cousin has an exact necklace like mine?" she holds the charm between her index finger and her thumb, "My cousin is Elissa Cousland, and she came to me in my dreams that night. She informed me how she was on a quest of her own, but she will come to help. Cass, do you think there's a reason this happened?" she asks.

Cassandra looked down and thought about the question before she could answer, "You and the Hero of Ferelden are related? Jules, if Elissa contacted you through your dreams, then it must've been important," she places a hand on Juliet's arm as reassurance and whispers, "Don't worry, Nix, your secret is safe with me. Who else knows? Besides Leliana and myself?"

"Leliana figured it out because of our eyes, and that we look identical, but her, you, and Cullen. I suppose he informed you about when he went to my cabin and thought I was about to be killed?" Juliet asked and looked at Cassandra, waiting to see a disapproving look, but to her surprise, Cassandra shook her head. _Cullen didn't tell Cassandra about that night, so maybe that was a good thing._ Juliet comforted Cassandra as she had seen the concerned look that was on her face, "I promise if anything else that is troubling me, you will be one of the first few people to know."

They traveled a few more miles until they reached the bridge to the capital, and the guards at the gate asked the group to leave their mounts at the entrance. They hopped off their horses and tied their straps to trees that were nearby, except Chestnut, Juliet's horse, kept trying to break from the post to follow his master. "Chestnut, you must stay here. I promise I will be fine. Would you like some fresh apples from the market?" Juliet asked as she scratched under his neck, and he nodded in response to her question, "Alright, I will make sure to get some, now wait here and be good." she giggled as she joined her companions on the bridge.

Juliet took in the beauty as they crossed the bridge as they arrived at the gate, an Inquisition scout greeted them, "My lady, Herald." she bowed to Juliet. "The chantry mothers await you at the end of the market, along with a few templars. Juliet looked at Cassandra with a puzzled look.

She asks Cassandra, "Why would the templars be here? I thought they were waiting for us to be allowed to ask for their help," then turned her attention to the scout, "Have you seen anyone represent the Rebel Mages?"

"No, my lady. The people seem to think the templars will protect them from the Inquisition. They're gathering on the other side of the market. I believe that's where they intend to meet you." the scout informed.

"Thank you, head back to Haven. If we are late, someone will need to inform them," Cassandra rubbed her temple before looking at Juliet, "Let us hurry and see what needs to be done. Varric, Solas, will you stay behind and look for anyone that looks suspicious? Juliet and I will approach the clerics. Agreed?" Everyone nodded and entered the Summer Bazaar. Juliet had seen a crowd gathered listening to a cleric, and she tilts her head to signal Cassandra that they needed to head over there. They split up and began making their way through the crowd, and Juliet was face to face with a cleric who was leading the strike against the Inquisition.

"Good people of Val Royeaux, hear me, together, we mourn our Divine! Her beautiful heart silenced by treachery!" A Revered Mother by the name of Hervara is preaching, and she sees Juliet and Cassandra in the crowd. "You wonder what will become of her murderer, wonder no more! Behold the so-called Herald of Andraste, claiming to rise where our beloved fell! We say this is a false prophet! The Maker would send no mage in our need!"

Juliet looks to Cassandra and sees her nod to say she should defend herself if she felt she needed to. "You're wrong. I am the Herald, and do you know everything the Maker commands? Look up in the sky! I alone survived the Breach, and I can end it!" she retorts back to Hervara, hoping she could sway the people gathered around them.

"It's true! The Inquisition seeks only to end this madness before it is too late!" Cassandra supported Juliet's plea.

"It's too late!" Hervara points to a squad of templars that approach the stage. "The Templars have returned to the Chantry! They will face this 'Inquisition,' and the people will be safe once more!" As the Templars enter the stage, one templar punches Hervara in the face causing her to go unconscious. Everyone was shocked to see why a templar would hit a Revered Mother.

Juliet's eyes gaze upon a man that seemed to be the leader of the small squad of the assault, talking to a younger templar. Cassandra pointed out to Juliet earlier before the attack happened that the older man was Lord Seeker Lucius, her former teacher. Juliet calls out the Lord Seeker, "Was that display supposed to impress me?"

"On the contrary. It wasn't for you at all." Lucius rebutted back. The Lord Seeker, and the templars, who gathered on the stage, followed him. As Lucius was walking off the stage, Cassandra chased after him.

"Lord Seeker Lucius, it's imperative that we must speak with-" Cassandra pleads before Lucius cuts her off.

"You will not address me," Lucius says sternly as the templars begin to walk away.

Cassandra was confused about why he was acting this way, but she was not going to back down before getting her answers. "Lord Seeker?" she asked as she saw Juliet joining her side, in case of a fight was about to begin.

"You should be ashamed all of you should be ashamed! Creating a heretical movement and raising a puppet to be Andraste's prophet. The templars failed no one when they left the Chantry to purge the mages! You are the ones who failed!" he roars and points a finger to Juliet, "You would leash our righteous swords with doubt, and if you sought to appeal to the Chantry, you are too late; the only destiny here that demands respect is mine!" Lucius proclaimed. Cassandra still did not understand what drove the Lord Seeker to be this way, but she could tell Juliet had heard enough.

"Why are you here, then? If you're not here to help the Chantry, did you come to make speeches? If I wanted to hear pointless speeches, I would've listened to my father's!" she demanded. Juliet despised hearing speeches from her father because she deemed them pointless.

"I came to see what frightens old women and to laugh," Lucius' response was cold, causing Juliet to growl under her breath. "Templars! Val Royeaux is unworthy of our protection! We march!" Lucius orders as they leave.

Solas and Varric return to the duo, "Charming fellow, isn't he?" Varric jokes.

Cassandra shakes her head in disbelief at what had happened a few moments ago, "Has Lord Seeker Lucius gone mad?"

"So much for the templar help, it doesn't look like we'll be getting their help after all," Juliet mumbled.

Cassandra explains, "I wouldn't write them off so quickly, there must be those in the Order who see what he's become. Either way, we should first return to Haven and inform the others." Once they begin to walk away, Cassandra sees an arrow with a message. Juliet reads the information that gave details about a nobleman who was against the Inquisition. For them to receive the information, Juliet would need to find clues for the location. During the search, she received an invitation from Madame Vivienne De Fer for a party, and that her presence was required to come. She finds all the clues for the letter from the _'Friends of Red Jenny'_ and where the meeting would be. It was on the way to Madame De Fer's place, so Juliet decides that she will go to the party first and the gathering after.

As they were beginning to leave, Grand Enchanter Fiona, the leader of the mage rebellion, stopped them to invite them to Redcliffe to discuss their offer to help seal the Breach. Juliet agreed they would meet after she dealt with matters that were in Orlais.

When leaving Val Royeaux, the group headed to Madame De Fer's first, after arriving, they recruited Vivienne, an enchanter, and advisor, to Empress Celene. Next to join was Sera, an elf and self-taught archer, who was associated with the Friends of Red Jenny. With their new companions, the party heads back to Haven to explain the events that transpired in Val Royeaux. Juliet was pleased to gain two new friends, at least that was one of the good things to happen, and they made contact with both groups for the allies, they would need to seal the Breach.

What was next for Juliet? Only _time_ would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided I would update this chapter so thank you for reading! I have to ask what your opinions on the companions and who is your favorite? Leave it in the comments below!
> 
> Sending lots of love and good vibes your way during this crazy time that we live in!


	9. In Hushed Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once arriving at Haven, Juliet and Cassandra are greeted by the Advisors, who were already informed on the events that happened in Val Royeaux. They reminded her that if she chose one group, the opposite would not appeal to their needs either.

After a few days from traveling throughout Orlais, Juliet and the group she has called friends arrive back at Haven. Outside the gate, Juliet and Cassandra were approached by one of Leliana's scouts to notify them that the advisors were waiting for them in the Chantry. Cassandra begins heading there, Juliet heads to her cabin. She opens the door and throws her bag beside her bed. She wanted to get some rest before the meeting, but she decided that this was more important, for the moment.

Before leaving, Juliet changes her outfit into a warmer and comfortable attire. Next, she looks into the mirror and fixes her hair into a side braid. After she makes herself more presentable, she notices a note on her desk, from Sera.

_"Hello, Herald! Come to the tavern and have a drink as a "welcome to the crew!" when you can."_

Juliet knew she would need a drink after the meeting, and getting to know Sera would be a perk. Before walking out the door, she grabs her staff, places it on her back, and leaves her cabin. When walking up the stairs to the Chantry, Juliet sees Cassandra waiting for her outside, "You ready?" she asks, and Cassandra nodded. They walk through the doors and see Josephine approach them before the advisors join them. _  
_

"It's good you've returned, we heard of your encounter," Josephine informed.

"You heard?" Cassandra asks.

Juliet sees Cullen and Leliana come to join them and hears Leliana's swift voice, "My agents in the city sent word ahead, of course."

Cullen joins in, "It's a shame the templars abandoned their senses, as well as the capital." Juliet took a deep breath, as she was still angered by how the templars acted; and began heading to the War Room.

"At least we know how to approach the mages and templars now, going was worth the risk," Juliet speaks. Josephine explains that they now have an opening they needed, but Cassandra responds that the Lord Seeker isn't the same man she remembered. Juliet knew that they would soon ask her opinion on who to contact and reminded her that whoever she chooses, the other group will refuse to help.

"Jules, have you decided on who would like to contact?" Leliana asked.

"Yes, we are going to head to Redcliffe and meet with the Grand Enchanter," Juliet responded. She had seen that Cullen and Cassandra disapproved of the choice, but Juliet had a reason behind her decision. "Before you two say anything, I have a reason why. The reason why I chose to talk to the mages was that the templars have already refused to help. My heart is also telling me that there is something about to happen at Redcliffe. I don't know what it could be, but we could at least check it out." she explained. The advisors and Cassandra agreed and went to the War Room to begin preparations, except Leliana. "Leli, is something the matter? Are you upset with my selection?" she asked.

"No, it's not that. I have some information, and the others think I am overthinking it, but it is indeed strange. I have noticed that the Wardens have disappeared in Ferelden, even in Orlais, this cannot be a coincidence," Leliana informed and took a breath before progressing. "My scouts have notified me of a Warden, by the name of Blackwall, who was spotted in the Hinterlands. It might be possible that he could know where the missing Warders are."

"Alright, I will go meet him and see if he knows anything. Now let us join the others." Juliet agreed. The rest of the meeting went smoothly, and Juliet felt eyes watching her. She looked to see Cullen watching her, and she worries that she upset him. After the meeting and the others had left, Cullen approached Juliet to speak in private.

"Jules, can I talk to you for a second? I understand why you decided on going to the mages, but will you be careful, please?" Cullen pleaded. He worried about Juliet and her safety whenever she left Haven to travel. The connection he felt with her was one he never experienced before. Something about Juliet made him want her with so much desire. The taste of her lips lingered on his mouth, and to have the feeling of the softness of her lips on his again made him crave for her.

"Cullen, I promise I will be safe," Juliet kissed his cheek. She saw him turning pink, "That was my thank you for understanding. I have to head to the tavern and have drinks with Sera. Talk later?" Juliet giggles and begins walking out of the War Room.

"It's a date wait, I uhh I didn't mean to say that, I mean I did...Oh, Maker's breath!" Cullen rambled as he heard Juliet's laughter. Her laughter was music to his ears. Cullen feels the heat rise to his cheeks, and was pleased that Leliana and Josephine were not nearby. "Jules, it's not funny what I meant to say is that I would love that- _Maker!"_

 _Why can't I form a complete sentence talking to her? I am better at giving orders than not making a fool of myself in front of her, but I did love hearing that sweet laugh of hers._ Cullen has a smirk on his face and thought of what to say to Juliet, but her laughter distracted him.

"Oh yes, it is Cullen, do I make you nervous? I think it's rather-" Juliet teases. Cullen walks to her, and places a finger on her lips.

"Yes, you make me nervous, but I know I do the same to you, _my lady,_ " the sultriness to Cullen's voice made Juliet quiver, "Nix, this game you're trying to start, I will play along. Remember this; I play fair, and I'm ready for anything," he whispers.

"Game on Curly. Here's a little warning about me, I _always_ win, so be ready to lose, _my lion_." He swallowed at the way she called him "her lion" as the heat from his cheeks started to make him sweat. Juliet knew she won this round, and she gave another kiss to Cullen's cheek before departing to the tavern. She walks out of the Chantry feeling accomplished until she sees a messenger looking to talk to someone. "May I help you?"

"Yes, my name is Krem, and I am a member of the Bull's Chargers, I come with an offer, from my boss, The Iron Bull. The chief would like to offer our band of mercenaries to help the Inquisition. Meet us at the Storm Coast."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Krem, my name is Juliet, and we would like to accept your boss's offer to join the Inquisition. We will meet you at the Storm Coast, you can hand me the information, and we will be there in a few days," she insisted. Krem handed over the letter then left. Juliet knew that they would need to head back to the Storm Coast, to meet the Iron Bull and his group. They would be heading to address the possible alliance with the mages afterwards. 

Juliet enters the tavern and enjoys a few drinks with Sera, and getting to know her better. Feeling the fatigue in her body, she heads to her cabin, ready for the desire to sleep. Juliet opens the door and places her staff by her bed; she starts to change into her night clothes then heads to bed.

The next morning, Juliet packs her bag for the journey to the Storm Coast, and the Hinterlands. Cassandra, Sera, and Varric would accompany her. They meet the Iron Bull, a qunari, who offers his assistance as a bodyguard for Juliet and has information that could benefit the Inquisition. Juliet accepts and handles any issues that were needing her attention in the Storm Coast. She recruited another group of mercenaries, the Blades of Hessarian, who could supply the Inquisition camps along the Coast.

Next in the Hinterlands, they head to where Leliana's scouts spotted Warden Blackwall last. The group finds him training a few pilgrims on how to fight, and when they approach him, a battle breaks out. An archer shoots an arrow at Juliet, and before she could react, Blackwall raises his shield blocking it. She thanks him, and they become successful in the battle. After it was over, she walked over to him, she asked if he knew of the Wardens disappearing, but he informed her that he knew nothing of it.

Nightfall came, the group was ready to get some rest before the meeting in the morning. Juliet couldn't fall asleep, and she soon felt a sense of doubt take over her and wondered if she was doing the right thing by choosing to ally with the mages. "Cass, are you awake?" she asked.

"Yes, can't sleep, and I can tell you can't either," Cassandra answered. She was worried about the meeting, as something about it made her feel uneased. Lost in her thoughts, she hears Juliet sigh and knows they were both thinking the same thing about tomorrow. "Jules?"

Juliet sighs again then spoke, "Please tell me you have the same weird feeling about tomorrow? I've had this strange feeling ever since we arrived back from the Coast." Juliet hears Cassandra sigh and waits for her to respond.

"I have, and it's making me feel uneasy. If you are still wanting to do this and figure out this feeling that we are sharing, we can. If you change your mind, we can head back to Haven and try to make contact with the templars. It is up to you, Jules." she responds. She could see the weight of everyone trusting Juliet was affecting her and was making her doubt her choices.

"I know, I still want to see this through at least. Thank you, Cass, for everything. We should get some sleep. I have a feeling we will need it for tomorrow. Goodnight." Juliet snaps her fingers, and the light in the lantern goes dark.

"You're welcome, Nix. Goodnight." Cassandra responds and falls to sleep. Juliet looks up once more to the ceiling of the tent and hopes this feeling she had would go away by morning.

When they did arrive at the gate at Redcliffe, the feeling she was having grown, and Juliet knew they were needing to find out what was happening in Redcliffe. They hoped the Grand Enchanter would know, but what they did not expect was Fiona not remembering contacting them at all. What had happened in the past few days for Fiona not to remember put Juliet in a state of confusion?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing to reading this story. My favorite companion has to be Dorian, the banter he shares with everyone especially if it's Sera or Iron Bull makes me laugh. Anyways, I hope you are enjoying this story and I can't wait to post more for you guys!


	10. Redcliffe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet, along with her companions enters Redcliffe to attend the arrangement of the mages wanting to help, but no one seems to remember contacting Juliet personally. She meets a Tevinter Magister, Alexius, who is charge of the Rebel Mages.

As Juliet expected, something strange was happening in Redcliffe, and she hoped the Grand Enchanter would know anything that could help. Juliet's first observation was of the fade rift that was outside the gate entrance to the town that alters around time as they were trying to close it. They learn upon arriving from a scout that no one was expecting them, not even Fiona, and have arranged to meet at the tavern for the negotiations. When the scout was giving Juliet information about what he learned, an elf by the name Lysas informs Juliet that the mages were now under the care of a Magister Alexius. _Can today get any weirder?_ "Cass, something is wrong here, and I intend to find out," she whispers, "Is everyone ready for the meeting? Do remember to be on guard. Let's go." Juliet leads the team to the tavern, and they enter to see Fiona waiting for them.

"Welcome Agents of the Inquisition. May I ask what has brought you to Redcliffe?"

"You invited us here. We met in Val Royeaux. Do you not remember?" Juliet asks.

"You must be mistaken, I haven't been to Val Royeaux since before the Conclave," Fiona responds.

"But I met someone exactly like you, in Val Royeaux. Something weird is happening," Juliet mumbles. _Okay, what the hell is going on here? Is this an act, or is she serious that she doesn't remember me?_ Juliet thought as she was still unsure of this conversation. She looks at Cassandra and mouths, "Told you."

"Exactly like me? It could be magic at work here, but whoever or whatever brought you here, the situation has changed. The mages and I have already pledged ourselves to the Imperium of Tevinter." Fiona vaguely speaks as if she was in a trance, or someone was controlling her mind.

"Andraste's ass! I'm trying to think of the single worst thing you could've done, and I got nothing!" Varric cursed. His thoughts traced him back to Kirkwall when Anders blew the chantry up.

"You have allied with Tevinter, are you not afraid of all of Thedas turning against you?" Cassandra barked.

"As one indentured to a magister, I no longer have the authority to negotiate with you," Fiona informed the group.

"Well, that was quick. You have allied with Tevinter, even though the Divine's corpse is barely cold?" Juliet asked.

"Most of Thedas blames us for her death, the templar attacks have grown worse, and we had no other allies to ask for help. I had no other choice; we either took a stand here in Redcliffe or accepted the only offer that was of help to us, I did it to save my people," Fiona defended.

"Introduce me to who's in charge now!" Juliet ordered. Then two men in Tevinter garb approached the group from behind.

"Welcome, my friends! I apologize for not greeting you earlier. My name is Magister Gereon Alexius. The southern mages are now under my command," Alexius explains as he was eyeing Juliet with intense concentration. "And you must be the survivor, from the Fade, yes?" he asks, not breaking eye contact with her.

Juliet shifts in her stance before responding, "I am, my name is Juliet Trevylan. You are a long way from Tevinter, Alexius."

"Indeed I am, but I heard that you are not from Ferelden either. It seems we are both strangers here. Please let us have a seat to discuss," he motions to a nearby table for them to sit, and Juliet follows, while Cassandra props on a post beside the table and Varric along with Sera stand behind Juliet. "Felix, will you send for a scribe, please?" Alexius asked the other man then introduced him to the group, "This is my son Felix, friends," Felix bows to Juliet, and her party then departs at his father's request. "Now, onto more important matters, I understand the reason why you are here, containing the Breach is not a feat many would try to attempt."

Juliet exchanges a glance with the others and sees Cassandra clenching her jaw, and responds to Alexius's statement, "When you're fighting a massive tear in the sky, you can hardly afford to think small."

Alexius was about to respond to her when Felix returns. Juliet and Alexius stand from the table, but before Felix approaches the table, he stumbles into Juliet's arms. "Felix!" Alexius cries out. Juliet feels Felix place a note in her hand before his father could rush to his side. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Juliet looked to see if he could be injured but did not see any wounds. "Forgive me, my lady. I apologize for stumbling into you. I'm fine, father," Felix sympathized.

Alexius helps Felix stand and orders Fiona that he needs her assistance with Felix's powders back at the castle. Once they leave, Juliet has a chance to read the note that was given to her by Felix.

"Come to the Chantry. You are in danger." Juliet whispers. She wonders why Felix would give her that note, and what could it mean? "We'll be careful, but we need to figure out what's going on here," she suggests as the party walks out of the Gull and Lantern and makes their way to Redcliffe's Chantry.

Once they arrive, a man appears fighting a demon and yells out to them, "I could use the help here!" Juliet grabs her staff and starts helping the mage. During the battle, she runs to the rift and closes it. "Thanks for that. How does that work exactly?" the man questioned before he introduces himself, "Dorian, of House Pavus, most recently of Minrathous. How do you do?"

"Juliet Trevylan and this is Varric, Cassandra, and Sera. We are quite well. I received a note from Felix to meet here. Do you know where he might be?"

"Oh, Felix is probably on his way here now, after ditching his father," Dorian explains.

Juliet remembers Felix almost fainting into her arms and seeing Alexius, not being able to catch him first, "Is he alright? I heard Alexius mention powders?"

"He has an unknown lingering illness, and ever since the incident occurred, Alexius has been a mother hen to him," Dorian clarifies, "Alexius was once my mentor, so the information I have on him should prove useful. As you may have noticed, he is claiming the mages right out of grasp could be the work of magic, yes?" he asks. Juliet nods in agreement before he continues, "Which is exactly right before the Inquisition could arrive first, he distorted time itself."

"How is that possible? Is that dangerous as it sounds?" she asks.

"Did you see the rift and how it acted by speeding things up or slowing them down? The magic that Alexius has been using is wildly unstable, and it is unraveling the world," he swallows and finishes, "I helped develop this magic when I was his apprentice, it was only a theory at the time, and for what? To gain a few more extra lackeys?"

"He didn't do it for them. My father has joined a cult, the Venatori," Felix answers. "I can tell you that whatever he's done is to get to you."

"Me? Why would your father rearrange time and indenture the mage rebellion?"

"They're obsessed with you, maybe because of your survival at the Temple of Sacred Ashes?" Felix informs.

"Or maybe there is a connection, or they see you as a possible threat?" Dorian added.

"All of this for me and here I didn't get Alexius anything," Juliet jokes.

"Send him a fruit basket; everyone loves those," Dorian laughs, "You know that you are his target; this is the first step to turning it to your advantage. Alexius doesn't know that I'm here. I intend to keep it that way, but when you confront him, I would like to be there. I'll be in touch," Dorian turns to Felix, "Try not to get yourself killed."

"There are worse things than dying, Dorian," Felix leaves after Dorian.

Juliet sighs as she rubs her temples and speaks, "First, Cass, I told you so, second, we need to head back and inform the advisors, and lastly, I need a drink," she could hear the frustration in her voice.

"I might join you for that drink, Jules," Cassandra laughs as she puts an arm around Juliet's neck. "Let's head back to Haven then, and you're going to be the one telling the advisors," she laughs again.

"That's not fair, Cass!" Juliet argued, "Why do I have to be the one to tell them?"

"You wanted to come here, and I have done it twice," Cassandra retorts back as she climbs onto her horse and waits for the others. "If I have to be the one to tell them, I will also tell a certain Commander that you fancy him," she taunts Juliet and sees her turn red.

"You wouldn't. You're bluffing," Juliet narrows her eyes to Cassandra and then continues, "Fine, I will do it," she hears Cassandra laughing and realizes that she was bluffing, "You did that on purpose!" she yells.

"Good one, Seeker." Varric snickers.

"Of course, I was bluffing, but the look on your face was priceless. I might tell Cullen now," Cassandra jokes, as they left for Haven. She continues to laugh, and a snowball hits her on the back of the head, "Juliet! Are you twelve?" she growls.

Juliet snickers and answers to Cassandra's accusation, "No, I'm twenty-eight Andraste's ass, you're worse than my cousins." They continue to tease each other, and Varric starts taking notes for inspiration from their banter.

The group enters at Haven around noon. They approach the War Room and open the door to begin on how they need to address Alexius and inform everyone what happened in Redcliffe. After a few moments, Juliet spoke, "We know Alexius is in a cult, and that they are obsessed with me, so we have a distraction, but how are we going to get our soldiers to enter undetected?"

"Wait, isn't there a windmill still located in the village?" Leliana asks. Juliet nods and wonders where Leliana was going with this.

"Leli, how did you know about the windmill?" Juliet asks.

"I remember from traveling with Elissa when we helped Redcliffe from the Arl Eamon's son when he was possessed. Teagan informed us of the windmill that has a secret route. They would use it for the family to escape. We could use that for the soldiers." Leliana answers.

The door slams open, Juliet turns to see who it was and sees Dorian walks in, "Luckily you'll have my help," Cullen glares at him. "Your spies will not get past Alexius's magic without my help, so if you are going after him, I'm coming along."

"It's up to you, Juliet, this plan puts you in the most danger. We can still go to the Templars."

Juliet shakes her head, "No, we've come this far to ask the mages to join, and I'm not going to leave them to be in the clutches of Tevinter," she looks to Dorian, "No offense."

"Oh, no worries. Shall we leave now?" Dorian asks. He heads out the door with Cassandra and Juliet following him. _Cass, keep her safe._ Cullen thought. He always replays that in his head whenever Juliet and her team would leave. Cassandra never leaves her side when they travel, because she was Juliet's shield in battle when he couldn't be. He heads outside and tries to catch Juliet before they left. As Juliet mounts Chestnut, she sees Cullen by her side and smiles at how the sunlight glistened on him. 

"Jules, promise me that you will be careful?" Cullen whispers for only Juliet to hear. She smiles that he was worried about her, as no man had ever done that for her.

"I promise, Cassandra is with me, you don't need to worry," she winks at him. The team then leaves for Redcliffe, leaving Cullen praying to the Maker, to keep his beautiful bird safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I have been enjoying writing this story for you all and I appreciate that you've read this much of it and I can't wait to post more for you guys. Sending good vibes and lots of love for anyone needs it. Thank you again!


	11. The Dark Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet heads to Redcliffe Castle to disrupt Magister Alexius's plan of trying to reverse what happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. She meets her cousin's husband, but he doesn't know who she is besides being the Herald. They gain the mages as allies, and now its time to close the Breach.

The team of Juliet, Cassandra, and Sera arrive at Redcliffe castle, while Dorian assists the spies underneath. The doorman insisted that Juliet was to see Alexius alone, but she argued that where she goes, the girls come with her. He leads them up to the throne room where Alexius and Felix were sitting. Felix gives her nod to signal Alexius still didn't know Dorian was involved, and it made her feel at ease that he was helping. Alexius stands and greets them, "My friend! It's so good to see you, again. As well as your associates." he bows his head to Cassandra and Sera, "I'm sure we can come to an agreement that is equitable to all parties."

Fiona speaks up, "Are we mages to have no voice in deciding our fates?"

"Fiona, you would not have turned your followers to my care if you didn't trust me with their lives."

"Of course she trusts you, Alexius. I'm sure lots of people put their lives in your hands. You have one of those faces," Juliet smirks.

"Pretty ugly one at that," Sera snorted.

"Yes, the Magisterium tells me that quite often. Shall we begin our talks?" he asks then sits back down. He starts discussing the agreement, "The Inquisition needs mages to close the Breach. I have them so tell me what do you plan on giving me in exchange?"

Juliet chuckles, "I know you want me dead, and that is why you invited me here."

Alexius grins, "If that is what you want to believe. I marvel that you decided to come anyway."

Felix joins his father's side, "She knows everything, father."

"Felix, what have you done?"

Juliet answers, "We made sure to disarm your trap before we walked in. I hope you don't mind."

"I have yet to see your cleverness, I'm afraid," Alexius fills with rage stood up from the chair, as his voice began to rise, "You walk into my stronghold with your stolen mark, a gift you don't even understand and think that you've won." Juliet pops her knuckles waiting for the opportune time to signal Dorian and continues to listen to Alexius's taunt. "You are nothing but a mistake," he taunted.

Juliet took a deep breath, "My father has been telling me that since day one, it's not going to hurt me anymore when you say it. If you know so much about it, enlighten me, what is it?"

"It belongs to your betters, so you wouldn't begin to understand it's true purpose," Alexius informed.

Felix looks to his father, hoping he could stop him before it was too late, "Father, listen to yourself! Do you know what you sound like?" he pleads.

Dorian emerges from the shadows. "He sounds exactly like the villainous cliché that everyone expects us to be," he joins Juliet at her side and winks.

"Dorian, I gave you a chance to be a part of this. You turned me down." Juliet looks at Dorian, clenching his jaw. "The Elder One has the power you wouldn't believe! He will raise the Imperium from its ashes," Alexius preaches, "Soon he will become a God, he will make the world bow to mages once more!"

"Who is this Elder One? Is that who killed the Divine? Is he a mage?" Juliet asks.

"You can't involve my people in this!" Fiona declares. Juliet prepares to get her staff, but Dorian stops her. He approaches Alexius.

"Alexius, this is what we talked about never wanting to happen, why would you support this?" he questions.

The spies eliminate Venatori while Alexius is distracted by Felix. Juliet draws her staff and hears Venatori guards fall around them. Alexius cries out, "Seize them, Venatori! The Elder One demands her life!"

"Your men are dead, Alexius," Juliet grins.

Alexius starts turning an amulet in his hand, and a portal begins to grow behind him. Before he can fully cast it, Dorian stuns Alexius, but the portal opens in front of him and Juliet. They are sucked into the portal and appear in the dungeon of the castle. Two Venatori guards appear and draw their swords. The duo fight the guards, and Juliet picks the gate key to open the locked gate of the cell. "Displacement, interesting. Not what Alexius intended, the rift must have moved us to what? The closest thing to Arcane energy?" Dorian was intrigued by what happened. But Juliet was confused, as she didn't even see Cassandra or Sera with them.

"The last thing I remember we were in the castle hall with Cassandra and Sera," Juliet was worried about where they could be.

"Let's see if we are still in the castle, it isn't...oh, of course! It's not simply where it's when," Dorian explains, "I countered the spell he was trying to cast, and that's why we are here."

They open the gate and begin to find out what happened, and they soon find Grand Enchanter, Fiona, with red lyrium growing from her body. She explains an assassination on Empress Celene occurred, and a demon army would take over Orlais. She reveals the date of it being, Harvestmere, 9:42 Dragon, an entire year has passed. Fiona tells her that Leliana is in the castle somewhere and begs her to make sure this dark future doesn't happen. They find Cassandra and Sera; they explain to them that they are alive. After a little convincing, they go to the upper cells to find out where Leliana is.

They get to a door and hear Leliana's cries from being tortured. Juliet opens the door to see the torturer hold a knife to her throat. When they both see Juliet standing in the doorway, Leliana wraps her legs around the guard and breaks his neck. Juliet rushes to get the key off the dead guard, and she sees the way Leliana looks older and malnourished, "You're alive, but how?" Leliana asks.

"Leli, I'm so sorry you had to go through this. It's a long story, but I promise I will stop this from happening," Juliet promised. Leliana explains very little of what happened but tells her that Alexius is in the throne room. Once the group arrives outside, they see the Breach is everywhere. After they closed the small rifts and killed the spellbinders that held red lyrium shards that formed into a key to the throne room, they were ready to confront Alexius.

As they enter the throne room, Alexius speaks, "I knew you would appear again, but I knew I hadn't destroyed you, my final failure. The Elder One comes for me, for you, for us all," he states. Leliana soon appears holding a man hostage with a knife to his throat, "Felix!" he cries out.

"Felix? Maker's breath, Alexius! What have you done?" Dorian yells.

"He would have died, Dorian, I saved him. Please do not hurt my son, and I will do anything you ask!" Alexius pleads with Leliana as she looks to Juliet.

"Give us the amulet, and we will let him go." Juliet offers.

"Let him go, and I SWEAR you'll get what you want!" Alexius begs once more.

"I want the world back!" Leliana growls and slits Felix's throat. Consumed by rage, Alexius hits Leliana with a spell and proceeds to fight Juliet and her party. After they kill him, Dorian feels guilty for it, but Juliet explains that they can still save Alexius from their time. He takes the amulet from his body and tells her to give him an hour before he can activate the spell. "An hour? That's impossible; you must go now!" Leliana orders.

Juliet sees Sera and Cassandra offer to hold them off outside to buy them time, and Leliana will be the last line of defense. She begins to pray to give her strength as arrows fly and hit her chest. As Dorian begins casting the spell, Juliet wants to help Leliana, but Dorian pulls her back, "If you move, we all die!" he shouts. Juliet sees that they are now back in the hall. Dorian looks at Alexius, "You'll have to do better than that."

Alexius falls to his knees in front of them, "You won, there's no point in extending this charade."

Once Alexius has been escorted away, Felix leaves with them; Dorian walks down to the center of the hall and sighs, "Well, I'm glad that's over with," but the sound of footsteps marching enters the room, "Or not." he smirks.

Juliet sees her cousin's husband, Alistair, the King of Ferelden, following in from his soldiers. She wondered if Elissa ever told him about who she was. Alistair looks over to where she was standing, and Juliet could sense what he was thinking. _He must think I'm Elissa._ Alistair turns his attention to the Grand Enchanter, "Grand Enchanter, imagine how surprised I was learning you'd given Redcliffe Castle away to a Tevinter Magister," he folded his arms. "Especially since I'm fairly sure Redcliffe belongs to Arl Teagan."

"King Alistair?" Fiona shrieks. Juliet felt Alistair's eyes gaze over to her again. He returns his gaze to Fiona and listens to her response, "Your Majesty, we never intended-" Fiona begins to say before he cuts her off.

"I know what you intended, I wanted to help you, but you've made it impossible," Alistair growls, "You and your followers are no longer welcomed in Ferelden!"

Juliet makes her way to them and hears Fiona's plea to the king, "But we have hundreds who need protection! Where will we go?"

Juliet intervened, "I should point out that we did come here for mages to close the Breach. We would be honored to have you fight as allies at the Inquisition's side."

"I would take that offer if I were you. One way or another, you will be leaving my kingdom," Alistair insists.

"We accept, I will gather my people, and ready them for the journey to Haven. The Breach will be closed, and you won't regret giving us this chance." Fiona leaves the castle and heads to the village.

Juliet meets Alistair's eyes and could see that he was trying to figure out who she was. "I'm sorry I keep staring at you. You remind me of someone very dear to me. May I ask for your name?" Alistair had the same crooked grin Cullen had.

"Juliet, it's Juliet Trevylan, your Majesty." she begins to bow to him, but he stops her and laughs.

"Please, just call me Alistair." He grins again and makes Juliet laugh.

"Alright, may I ask who I remind you of, they must be very special to you?" she asks.

He clears his throat and speaks, "My wife, her name is Elissa. She is an amazing woman, and I miss her very much." she smiles at how he describes Elissa to her. "Her eyes look just like yours, that is why I mistook you for her. You must get that all the time? Of how you look identical to the Hero of Ferelden?" he starts to laugh.

Juliet laughs, "Oh, you have no idea." Cassandra is near the entrance and signals Juliet that they must depart. "I have to head back to Haven with my new allies. It was lovely chatting with you, Alistair." they shake hands, and as she walks away before Alistair stops her once more.

"Juliet, will you tell Leliana, I said hi?" he asks. She nods, and they leave Redcliffe castle with their new allies, ready to seal the Breach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I wanted to add a little bit more of the small encounter you have with Alistair if you chose to side with the mages. Thank you for reading!


	12. The Aftermath of Redcliffe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time for Juliet to seal the Breach is upon her with the help of her new allies. As they head to the summit, a friend gives Cullen the push to tell Juliet how he feels about her before it's too late.

After a victory in Redcliffe and accomplishing the mission of gaining allies for the Breach, Juliet was proud of how much she succeeded in a matter of weeks since the Conclave, but she feared that all the work that she did wouldn't matter if they failed to close the Breach. Her thoughts rambled around, in her mind, she couldn't focus on one at a time. She thought about when everything first started, then what she experienced in the dark future, and lastly, the encounter she had with Alistair. Lost in her thoughts, she turns her locket in her hand as they rode to Haven, Juliet does not notice Cassandra is speaking to her, "Jules, did you hear what I said?" Cassandra had asked when she touched Juliet's arm. Juliet jumps and makes a spark of fire appear, and she remembers that her emotions control how her magic reacts.

She snaps her fingers before the flame grows, and dissolves it then looks to Cassandra, "Hmm, I'm sorry. Lost in my thoughts again," she apologizes. "What did you say?" she asks and hears Cassandra chuckle.

"Well, I got the answer to my question. I saw you turning your locket again, do you want to talk about what happened at Redcliffe? You've been quiet ever since we left," Cassandra mentioned, "Or is it something else?" she asks and sees Juliet shrug.

Juliet sighs, "I don't know, it could be I'm overthinking things...again, or what happened at Redcliffe felt so real that I pray it was a dream." Cassandra looks at Juliet as they get closer to Haven and sees she has tears forming in her eyes. "I'm afraid that if I go to sleep that I will go back there, Cass, it felt real, and seeing you, Sera, and Leliana die, I can't experience that again."

Cassandra sees Juliet look defeated and felt helpless that there wasn't anything she could say to make it better, "Jules, I promise you that we are going to win and defeat this Elder One. I wanted to say that though I don't agree with why you did what you did on recruiting the mages, I do understand that you did what you thought was right." Juliet smiles at the compliment that she received from Cassandra, and she knew that she had her reasons. It is almost nightfall when they finally arrive, Sera shows Dorian around as Juliet and Cassandra head to the Chantry.

They enter the Chantry to see Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine in the middle of a disagreement. In the doorway, Cassandra and Juliet both look at each other with puzzled looks, Cassandra nudged Juliet to go over there first, and Juliet would reverse it to Cassandra going instead. "Start walking over there," Cassandra whispered to her. Juliet rolled her eyes, then stuck her tongue out to Cassandra. They both took deep breaths and decided to head over to the trio together, as they got closer, Juliet heard Cullen raise his voice to the women, and she knew why they were arguing. Her choice to ally the mages, after what had happened with Alexius.

"All I'm saying is they need to be on constant watch!" Cullen shouts, he doesn't see Juliet and Cassandra approaching them, "Who knows if we have any abominations around, we must keep them in check!" Juliet raises an eyebrow to him and crosses her arms, as she and Cassandra continue to hear Cullen rant. He looks at Cassandra, "You were there, Seeker, why didn't you intervene?" Juliet growls as she narrows her eyes to Cullen, _Now I need permission on my decisions?_ Cullen could see Juliet's anger, and the way how cold her eyes went as they glared at him, _She must think I'm just like the templars that hurt her._

Juliet starts to dig her nails into her skin as she waits for Cassandra to respond to Cullen's question. "Juliet's goal was to go there to recruit the mages to seal the Breach." Cassandra answers. "Closing the Breach is what matters now."

Leliana joins in, "Before we do seal the Breach, we need to know more of this dark future you and Dorian experienced. This Elder One, the demon army, and the assassination on Empress Celene, we must know more about each one of the factions to stop it from happening."

Cassandra looks at Juliet; she could see it was the last thing she would want to discuss. Juliet felt the tension in her face that happened at Redcliffe was still fresh to her, and she wasn't ready to explain what took place. Juliet nods, trying to hide any emotion that would appear on her face. Dorian emerges from the shadows and has the same cheerful tone in his voice, "Sounds like something a Tevinter cult might do. Orlais falls, the Imperium rises. Chaos for everyone!" he jokes. The others look at him then back to Juliet, and she tries not to laugh at the serious expressions on their faces.

Cullen shakes his head, "One battle at a time. Speaking of which, it will take time to organize the troops with the mages, I suggest we take this to the War Room." They all nod in agreement as Cullen looks at Juliet and smiles, "Join us, none of this means anything without your mark, after all."

"Well, there goes my nap," she jokes and sees Cullen's crooked grin.

"What is it that they always say? 'No rest for the wicked'?" he humored.

She hears a hint of laughter in his voice, then realizes that Cullen made a joke. "Wait a minute, did Cullen just make a joke?" she asks as she tries to contain her laughter. The women look at each other and then to Cullen and start laughing with Juliet. Cullen rolls his eyes and shakes his head, Dorian even joins into their laughter.

Dorian catches his breath, "I'll skip the war council, though I would like to see this Breach up close if you don't mind?" Juliet cocks her head to him, "Oh, didn't I mention? The South is so charming and rustic. I adore it to little pieces." he chuckled.

"There's no one I rather be stranded in time with, so thank you for your help, Dorian. I'm pleased you're staying." Juliet and Dorian smile to each other and bow their heads.

"Excellent choice! But let's not get 'stranded' again anytime soon, yes?" he insisted. Juliet winks at him and gives him a thumbs up.

Cullen cleared his throat and spoke, "I will begin the preparations on the march to the mountain. Maker willing, the mages will be enough to grant us a victory." After Cullen announced his idea, Dorian left the Chantry, the women went towards the War Room, but Cullen and Juliet stayed where they were. Cullen wanted to apologize to Juliet, but he knew she needed to focus on sealing the Breach; however, it was eating him up inside of what he said, "Jules, can we go outside to talk for a second?" he asked as he looked at her to see her nod. They left the Chantry to a small clearing outside of the building, Cullen looked at her and took a deep breath, "I would like to apologize for what I said earlier. I have a hard time trusting mages since my past dealings with them." He stops and sees Juliet look away from him, and he knew this was making the situation worse, "I'm sorry for everything I have said. Juliet, hurting you is the last thing I ever want to do."

Cullen walked closer to Juliet, and his fingers lifted her chin so he could look into her icy blue eyes. Juliet looks up into his honey-amber eyes, and she then gazes down to his lips, craving the feeling of them touching hers again. She felt his breath on her skin, and her body trembled from the way his muscular arms embraced her closer to him. The hunger the two of them shared, of wanting the other soon took control before they could take over that desire; they heard Cassandra's voice.

"Has anyone seen the Commander or Juliet?" she asked a scout walking past her. Juliet and Cullen hide behind a thick oak tree and wait for Cassandra to walk away so they would have time to emerge from their hiding spot and head to the War Room. Juliet covers Cullen's mouth with her hand to keep him from laughing, and she then hears another voice, Dorian's voice. She peeks her head from the tree, and Dorian sees her, their eyes meet. He winks at her and signals her to get back behind the tree. Cullen raises his brow to her, and she mouths that Dorian saw her, his eyes widened, and prayed Dorain wouldn't tell Cassandra where they were.

"I do believe Juliet went to see Harriet on modifying her armor before the assault on the Breach," Dorian answered. Juliet knew she forgot to do something before the meeting with the Advisors. "The Commander went to speak with one of the Lieutenants about training exercises with the mages." he lied. Cullen cocks his head that was a reasonable lie to use and smirks. Juliet rolls her eyes at Cullen's expression. Dorian wished he could see the look on their faces on the lies he told Cassandra. She thanks him and walks off to find Cullen and Juliet; he notices the sneaky duo didn't move from their hiding spot, _they must still think Cassandra is nearby._ He decides to sneak up on them to frighten them, and he silently walks over to where they were and whispers, "She's gone now."

Juliet breaks from Cullen's embrace and screams, "Shit Dorian!" and punches him in the shoulder.

"Ow! Is that the thanks I get for covering for your asses? I might add that you both owe me, but for now, you need to get to the War Room before Cass has my head for lying to her." Dorian teased and walked away. Juliet and Cullen take one last look before appearing from their hiding spot, and they enter the Chantry, luckily before Cassandra returns from locating them.

A couple of hours into the meeting, they figured the troop movements to assist the mages to the temple, how Solas would instruct the mages for Juliet's strength, and now came who would join Juliet and Cassandra should the Breach resist the seal of closing. Juliet decides that Sera and Dorian would join them, and they are ready to head out. As they leave to head towards the summit, Juliet mentally prepares herself for what they were looking forward to dealing with these past few weeks. Back at Haven, Cullen is pacing to calm his nerves; and reminds himself if the need were to arise, Juliet would send a signal to notify them they were in trouble. Varric appeared at his side, and he could see how worried Cullen was, "Curly, will you sit down? She'll be fine."

Cullen stops in his tracks and looks at Varric, hoping he wasn't turning red. "How did you know that I-" Cullen began to ask before Varric interrupted him.

"Oh, come on Curly, I see the way you both look at each other. You want to protect her with every fiber of your being, but she worries about possibly harming you with her magic," he explained and could see the redness begin to show on Cullen's cheeks.

Cullen cleared his throat as he went to sit on the bench beside Varric and exhaled a sharp breath. "It's true Varric I do. I know that it's wrong of me to care for her that way, but when I'm with her, nothing else matters. She has been through hell and back, and she hasn't let that stop her from being who she is." Cullen runs his hands through his hair and feels Varric pat him on the back.

"Cullen, listen to me. I know more than anyone here on how you think of mages, but I also know that you need her just like she needs you." Cullen looks up from his hands at Varric before he could ask what he meant by that Varric stops him, "You need her to be your light, and she needs you to be her shield. What we all care about is her being happy, and if she believes in being with you will give her that chance, then I say go for it." he finished. Cullen could see that Varric was right, they needed each other, and he knew that he couldn't lose her.

"Thank you, Varric."

Varric chuckled, "You're welcome, Curly. You know, Seeker was teasing Nix when we were in Redcliffe." Cullen raises a brow to him as he cocks his head. "I see I caught your interest because Cassandra doesn't seem like the one to tease. They were arguing on who would inform you, Ruffles, and Nightingale about what happened in Redcliffe. So Cassandra teased that she would tell you about how Nix fancies you," he explained, "Of course, Nix thought she was bluffing, but she agreed to do it. Cassandra was indeed bluffing, so Nix threw a snowball at her. Then they were arguing about how they both needed to be mature. I swear, they act like sisters." Varric shook his head, and laughed.

They continued to chat when the sound of thunder, and a flash appeared across the evening skg. to notify everyone the Herald succeeded, that she did it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I decided to update this chapter and added more of the part of Cullen and Varric talking. Thank you for reading! Sending lots of love and good vibes your way for whenever you need it!


	13. In Your Heart Shall Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the celebration of sealing the Breach is cut short due to an unknown army. A spirit of Compassion, by the name of Cole, comes to warn Juliet of why they were attacking Haven and offers to help.

A celebration had begun when everyone who went to the summit arrived back. Juliet looks from the high level of Haven, watching below everyone celebrating. She finally would prove her brothers, and most importantly, her father wrong about how she wasn't a mistake. Juliet wondered if Elissa had come far on her journey as she did. She couldn't wait to see her again and tell her that she and Alistair had a chance to meet. Alone in her thoughts, Cassandra joins her at her side, "Solas confirms the heavens scarred, the Breach sealed, you did it, Nix."

Juliet smiles, "No, we did it, Cass. I just happen to be at the center of it."

"Indeed, we gained an alliance, and a victory," Cassandra added. Soon a bell rang throughout Haven, and everyone began running frantically. Juliet tries to find Cullen in the crowd. When she finds him with a helmet of a lion on ordering the Inquisition. Cassandra draws her sword and yells, "Come, we must reach the gates! Dorian! Sera!" Juliet grabs her charm and spins it into her staff as they head to the gates. They reach the gate, and Cullen scratches his head as Cassandra asks what had happened.

"One watchguard reported there is a massive force, the bulk over the mountain," he informed.

Juliet walks down the stairs holding onto her staff as Josephine looks to Cullen, "Under what banner?"

"None," Cullen answered that it was an unknown force that was marching to attack them. The front doors shook with a thud, and flashes of light appeared from outside. "Juliet be careful," he pleaded. He didn't care if the girls looked at him as he joined her side, "Cass, stay back here with Leliana and Josephine," Cullen suggested.

Juliet sees Cullen draw his sword and shield off his back, and she grabs her staff, ready to fight. Before she opens the door, she hears a voice. "I can't come in unless you open!" she looks to Cullen, and he nods for her to open the door. A Venatori brute begins walking to the duo then falls. There was a young man behind him, "I'm Cole. I came to warn you to help. People are coming to hurt you. You probably already know."

"What is the meaning of this?" 

Cole began to explain, "The templars have come to kill you."

"Templars?! Is this the Order's response to our talks with the mages? Attacking us blindly?" Cullen questions.

He answers, "Red templars went to the Elder One, you know him? He knows you. You took his mages." Cole points to where the Elder One appears beside a man who had red lyrium armor. "He's angry that you took his mages," Cole repeated.

"I know that man, but this Elder One?" Cullen whispers.

"Cullen, give me a plan! Anything!" Juliet pleaded.

"Haven's no fortress if we are to withstand this monster, then we must control the battle. Get out there and hit that force. Use everything you can. Remember what I said about using your fire spells last," he instructed. Cullen turns his back, "Mages, you have sanction to engage them. That is Samson, and he will not make it easy. Inquisition, with your lives for all of us!" Cassandra, Dorian, and Sera join Juliet's side, and the battle to protect Haven has begun.

Juliet and her team helped defend the trebuchet right outside Haven's wall, and they were successful in striking a blow to the army. She felt they were winning the battle until the red templars took over the second trebuchet. They make their way to take it back from the enemy. After they were able to gain it back, a scout begins to turn it, so it would cause an avalanche to slow them down. Reinforcements began to arrive to stop Juliet. They were able to dispatch them, and the trebuchet was ready to fire. The trebuchet fired, causing an avalanche that Juliet had planned. Everyone cheered until a screech of a dragon echoed in the skies and destroyed the trebuchets. "We need to head back to Haven, now!" Juliet ordered as they ran back to the gates. She sees Harritt kicking boxes that were blocking his door to his home. "Cass! Help Harritt!" Cassandra nods and runs to Harritt. She destroys the boxes then heads to the gates. She sees Cullen ordering everyone to hurry so he could close the door.

"Move it! We need everyone back to the Chantry; it's the only building that might hold against that beast! At this point, make them work for it!" He orders andJuliet nods. They rescued the villagers that were being attacked by red templars. When they reach the Chantry, Juliet turns around to make sure everyone is safe, then hears the doors open. Juliet turns back to see Chancellor Roderick is wounded but standing in the doorway with Cole by his side.

"Move! Keep going! The Chantry is your shelter!" he coughs, then falls into Cole's arms.

Cole places Roderick's arm on his neck and leads him to a chair, "He tried to stop a templar. The blade went deep. He's going to die."

"What a charming boy," he tried to laugh, but his breaths started to become shallow.

Cullen approaches Juliet, "Jules, our position is not good. That dragon stole back any time you've earned us."

"I've seen an Archdemon. I was in the Fade, and it looked like that," Cole clarified.

"I don't care what it looks like; it has cut a path for that army! They'll kill everyone in Haven!" Cullen barked.

"The Elder One doesn't care about the village. He only wants the Herald," Cole spoke as he looked at Juliet.

Juliet sighs, "If it means the assault on Haven ends, then I will surrender to him."

Cullen shook his head, "Jules, you can't-" he began to plead with her until she stopped him.

"Cullen, what choice do we have? It's the only way," she argued.

"It won't work he wants to kill you. No one else matters. He will kill them, crush them at whoever stands in his way. I don't like him," Cole replied.

Cullen growls, "You don't like-" he stops, and turns to Juliet. "Juliet, there are no tactics to make this survivable. The only thing that slowed them down was the avalanche. If you could turn the remaining trebuchets to cause one last slide, then it should give us more time."

"Cullen, we are overrun. For that to work, we would have to bury Haven." Juliet informed. Chancellor Roderick looks to the War Room door and taps Cole on the shoulder to get Juliet's and Cullen's attention.

"Yes, that could work," Cole whispers and turns to Juliet and Cullen. "Chancellor Roderick could help; he wants to say it before he dies." They both stop arguing to look at Roderick.

He lets out an unsteady breath and rises from the chair, "There is a path, you wouldn't know it unless you made the summer pilgrimage as I have. The people can escape. She must've shown me. Andraste must've shown me so I could tell you."

Juliet looks at Cullen, "What about it, Cullen? Would it work?"

"Possibly, if he will guide the way for us, but what of your escape?" He asked, but Juliet doesn't answer, "Perhaps you could surprise it, find a way?" Juliet could only nod. He runs to the last remaining troops, "Inquisition, follow Chancellor Roderick through the Chantry. Move!" he ordered. Cole helps Roderick start to lead, and Cullen appears to her side, "They'll load the remaining trebuchets, keep the Elder One's attention until we are about the tree line," he instructed. He shifts to her and whispers, "If we are to have a chance...if you are to have an opportunity, then let that thing hear you," he suggested and took her hand, "Promise me that you will make it to us."

As the others begin to exit the building, Juliet looks at Cullen then to her necklace. She takes it off and places it around Cullen's neck. He looks down at it and wonders what she is planning, "Jules, I can't take this. This is your most prized possession. Why are you-" he begins to ask but is interrupted by a kiss.

Juliet kisses Cullen, then whispers in his ear, "Hold onto it for me. That's my promise. Now go, we don't have much more time." Cullen nods as he heads to the back. Once she enters outside, a tear strikes down her face. She looks to the others, "Let's finish this."

They make it to the last remaining trebuchet, and see the red templars are already there. After turning the trebuchet halfway, a giant red lyrium monster appears along with reinforcements. Juliet and her team eliminate the last remaining templars, and finish aiming the trebuchet. Before they could fire it, the dragon appeared again, and it was coming towards them. "Move! Now!" she ordered her companions before it could strike. The dragon's breath of red lyrium exploded into fire, and someone emerged from the flames.

Juliet rises from the ground and sees the Elder One approaching her. His body of flesh, and lyrium protruding from his skull. As she tries to flee, the Elder One's dragon blocks her exit and starts to pace around her. Juliet dodges the snap of its teeth and covers her ears as the dragon lets out another roar. "Enough! Pretender, you toy with forces beyond your ken, no more!" The Elder One taunted. "Mortals begged for the truth that they cannot have! It is beyond who you are, what I was. Know me, know what you pretended to be. Exalt the Elder One, the will that is Corypheus. You will kneel!"

Juliet snarls, "No, I will not yield!"

Corypheus turns an orb midair, "I have come for the Anchor, and the process of removing it begins now!" He casts a spell, and the mark of Juliet's begins to burn. "It is your fault, _Herald._ You interrupted a ritual that was years in the planning, and instead, of dying, you stole its purpose. I don't know how you survived, but marks you as touched. what you flail at rifts, I crafted to assault the very heavens."

The Anchor starts to burn more. Juliet knelt over, holding onto her wrist, gritting her teeth in pain, and raised her head, "It's a boon from Andraste! She saved my life!"

"Then your lady wished me to kill you, for her "boon" is a beacon that I cannot let escape." Corypheus marches over to Juliet's body and grabs her wrist holding her in the air. "I once breached the Fade in the name of another, to serve the Old Gods of the empire in person. I found only chaos and corruption, dead whispers. For a thousand years I was confused, no more," Juliet tries to set herself free, but Corypheus's grip tightens more, "Beg that I succeed, for I have seen the throne of the Gods, and it was **empty** ," he growls and throws Juliet at the trebuchet. The force of contact made Juliet go breathless. Her back began to throb as she tried to catch her breath, "The Anchor is permanent. You have spoiled it with your stumbling."

Juliet sees a sword nearby; as she grabs it, something in the sky catches her eye. It was a fire arrow to signal her that they were above the tree line. It was time to bury Haven. She points the sword at him, "You've talked long enough, and here is your reward!" Juliet kicks the lever to activate the trebuchet's launch. Another avalanche begins to bury Haven. Juliet attempts to escape, while Corypheus and his dragon are distracted. She starts to run when the landslide commenced to their location. Hoping it would stop Corypheus and his dragon, but they flee. As they were fleeing, the dragon's tail knocked her down into a tunnel. 

At the small encampment upon leaving Haven, Cullen paces as he holds onto Juliet's necklace. _Maker, please let her come back to me. I need her to come back to me, my beautiful bird._ He feels eyes watching him as he turns to see Leliana was walking up to his side. "Yes?"

Leliana chuckles, "I noticed you are now wearing a necklace, but that doesn't seem your style, Cullen," she smiles and sees Cullen blush. "She will be alright. If she is anything like Elissa, she will be able to handle anything," Leliana sees Cullen turning the locket in his hand. "You both do that when you are nervous."

Cullen was lost in his thoughts until he heard Leliana's comment, "What are you talking about?"

"Cass and I have noticed when Juliet is nervous, she turns her locket, and now you do it too. It-" Leliana stops when she notices three figures appearing from the snowstorm.

Cullen draws his sword and points it at the three shadows. He prepares to strike, until a sword clashes with his. He hears a familiar voice, "Cullen, it's just us." It was Cassandra, Dorian, Sera, but no Juliet.

"Cass, where is Juliet? WHERE IS SHE?!" he ordered, Juliet's companions were shocked at Cullen's reaction.

"She's not here?!" Dorian yelled.

Cullen falls to his knees, holding her necklace. _She promised me that she would come back._ He tries to hold back the tears that formed in his eyes, Cassandra begins to comfort him. He didn't care that their closest friends saw him in this weakened state. He takes a deep breath and stands. "I'm going to look for her. Cass, you-" he begins to suggest until Cassandra stopped him.

"You are not going alone. If you go out there in that snowstorm, you'll both be dead! So it would be best if you at least had some help to find her. I'm coming with you, Cullen." Cassandra argued.

"So am I! If her body temperature goes low, she will not be able to cast a fire spell," Dorian added. Cullen knew he lost the argument with Cassandra and Dorian. They knew both of them the best. Cullen nodded, and they had begun the trek to find her.

They weren't far from the encampment when Dorian noticed a glowing green light in the distance, "Cass, look." he points to the glow that was a few feet from them. Cullen turns his head he sees her, and sprints towards her. He wraps his arms around her fragile body and could feel how cold her skin was. Dorian begins to warm her body with a fire spell. Cullen takes off his fur mantle and wraps it around her frozen body. He picks her up and carries her towards the encampment. Iron Bull offered to switch with Cullen, but he shook his head that he could do it.

"Dorian, find Solas now! We need to get her warm, and to see if she is wounded!" Cullen ordered and went inside a tent. Cassandra follows him inside and could see Cullen wasn't going to let her go. "I'm not leaving her, Cass, and if Solas tells me to leave, I will stay here with her." Cassandra had finally seen that Cullen cared deeply for her, and he was going to stay with her to keep her safe.

Solas, along with Fiona, enter the tent and walk over to Cullen, and they see Juliet in his arms, "Commander, we will take over from here. She's in safe hands. We need to-" Solas whispered.

Cullen looks to Cassandra and exhales, "Solas, I have great respect for you, but I'm staying here."

Solas sighs and tries to reason with Cullen before Cassandra intervened, "Solas, it would be best that he stays, that way he could keep her warm. You could work on calming the mark as you've done before, and Fiona can check her for injuries." Solas looks at Fiona to see if she agreed with Cassandra's suggestion. She nodded, and he accepted Cullen's help. "Alright, I will be outside to notify the others. Thank you, Solas and Fiona." Cassandra bows her head and leaves.

"Shall we get started?" Fiona asks. The beginning of the long night for everyone patiently waiting for Juliet to be okay had started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this story! It means the world to me and I can't wait to post more for you guys!! I wanted to add little more details on how the Inquisitor was found after Haven was destroyed. Plus since we couldn't get to see Cullen with his lion helmet I added it in here :)
> 
> Sending lots of love and good vibes your way for whoever might need it.


	14. The Beginning of Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen worries for Juliet and the pain she is enduring from being healed by Solas and Fiona. How much more pain could her soul take? He needs to be her strength during the process, and he is unsure if he could be that for her because his heart is breaking seeing her unconscious and fading away into the dark. Juliet awakens soon after, and Cullen informs her what had happened on how she was found. Juliet tries to understand the feelings she has for Cullen and worries that this was just a dream.

The hours Solas, Fiona, and Cullen spent bringing Juliet back were long. Every time they would raise her body temperature to where it needed to be, it would suddenly drop within seconds. Solas was getting furious that this kept happening, and he knew something wasn't working, but what could it be? He wanted to get her body temperature regular again, but he was unsure what it could be. Until he realized what the problem was, the mark was interfering in the healing and fire spells. Fiona huffed a breath of exhaustion, her mana was draining, and she knew that she couldn't give up on Juliet. Cullen could see Solas and Fiona were exhausted, and he knew that their mana was draining from all the spells. Solas shot a look at Cullen, and he remembered what Cassandra said, "He could keep her warm." A smile appeared across Solas's face because Cullen had the purpose of helping them and Juliet. Cullen sees him smile at him, and now he was wondering what the elven mage was planning, "Why are you smiling at me like that?" he asked, and Solas chuckles.

"I have figured out what we've been doing wrong," Solas answered. Cullen and Fiona glace at each other, then back to Solas. "The mark is meddling with the spells, Fiona. So instead of using spells to raise Juliet's temperature back up, we need to use a different tactic," he explained.

Cullen was unsure where Solas was going with this, "Which is?"

Solas chuckles again, "A method that midwives use after childbirth, skin to skin," Cullen's eyes widened, and he now knew where this was going. "I know that this will be out of your comfort zone, but what choice do we have, Cullen? All you need to do is be without a shirt. So will Juliet, this is the only way for this to work."

"Uhh...if you think that is best, then alright. Can we make sure the flap stays closed unless it's Cassandra? I know she won't embarrass both of us." he asked as he took off his gloves. As he begins to take his top armor off and shirt, Fiona carries Juliet's small frame to a nearby cot. She proceeds to remove her ripped cloak and tunic. Fiona sees bruising on Juliet's ribs and back. She continues examining to see if there were any more visible wounds. She leaves her breast band on, so whenever Juliet woke up, she wasn't fully topless. During this process, Solas heads outside for Cassandra to inform her.

"Cassandra, we figured out what we need to do, but we need no interruptions unless it's you." he clarified. Cassandra nodded, and Solas proceeded back to the tent to tend to Juliet. He sees Fiona placing Juliet on top of Cullen's chest. He notices how small Juliet's frame is compared to Cullen's. Solas takes a deep breath and walks over to where Cullen held Juliet to his chest and was ready to begin the task at hand.

When Cullen felt Juliet's frozen body against his warm chest, he shivered. The closer he looked at her, he could see her body was almost blue and prayed that he hadn't lost her yet. He could see the bruising that formed on her ribs, then there were scars that he could tell were at least a decade old, and seeing all of the pain Juliet has endured throughout her life made his blood boil. _How much has she been through, and how much more could she take?_ He thought. Lost in his thoughts, he's unaware of Juliet moving in his arms. The blueness on her skin began to fade back into the color of her ivory skin, the method was working, and he kissed the top of her head, holding back tears forming into his honey-amber eyes. She stirs again and starts whimpering from the pain that awakens in her body.

"Stop! STOP PLEASE!" she pleads. Cullen looks down to see her eyes shut, as he could feel his heart begin to race, and is unsure of what he should do. Her screams ring louder in his ears, and he recognizes the sound of them were just like the ones he heard back in Haven. Of course, she thinks she's dreaming. I need to wake her, but how?

Cullen holds her other hand and starts to trace atop her hand and begins speaking to her, "Juliet, listen to the sound of my voice. You need to wake up, Jules, we need you to wake up." Juliet's eyes flutter open, and she looks to see who's bare chest she is laying on. She looks up, and her light blue eyes meet Cullen's honey-amber eyes looking at her. Juliet tries to form a sentence, to ask what happened, but her mind is distracted elsewhere from Cullen's broad chest, to the feeling of his strong arms wrapped around her delicate frame. "Jules, I know you want to move, but you need to remain still for Fiona to heal your wounds and for Solas to stable the mark." Juliet looks to see Fiona and Solas are in the tent with them, and she begins to turn red from embarrassment. Cullen could feel the heat that rose to her cheeks, and he let out a light chuckle, she could feel the rumble from his chest, and she turned back to him with a glare.

"Well, Herald, the mark is stable again, but you need to keep warm. When Cullen, Dorian, Cassandra, and Iron Bull found you, your body was nearly frozen." Solas explained to her, "But I'm sure that Cullen could explain it better?" he teased. Juliet turns her head to see Cullen is now redder than her. "I will come back to check on you in a few hours, but for now, rest." Solas and Fiona bow their heads to Juliet and exit the tent.

A few minutes pass by since Solas and Fiona left, and Cullen notices Juliet hasn't moved from his embrace. The feeling of her skin touching his sent him into a frenzy deep inside of him. He didn't want her to move, but he knew that Cassandra or Dorian would come inside at any moment. He clears his throat and starts to speak, "Jules, are you alright?" _Maker, why did that have to be the first question I ask her?_ Cullen curses at himself and hears Juliet chuckle at him before she removes herself from his grasp.

"I'm alright now, uh Cullen, where is my shirt?" she asks and turns her back to him, and starts to look for her shirt. He sees her tattoo, but he notices the phoenix is different. Cullen sees that one of the feathers is not like the others. A snowy white feather replaced one of the fiery sunset feathers, but he didn't see anything else that had changed. _The tattoo didn't have the white feather the first time I had seen it._ Juliet tuns to see Cullen is staring at her. She clears her throat, "Cullen, did you hear me?"

"Your shirt had torn from your injuries. Solas brought you a new one when he went to Cassandra to inform her of what happened." He hands her the new shirt, and she nods. As Juliet starts to put the shirt on, Cullen starts informing her of what happened, "Jules, how we found you in the snowstorm was from your mark that was glowing. You passed out due to your injuries before we could reach you. When we did, your body was almost frozen, and you began turning blue." Juliet walks over to him as she sits in front of him, and she places her hand into his. "I wrapped my mantle around you and carried you back here. Dorian tried warming you with fire spells, but they weren't working. When Cass and I entered the tent, we waited for Solas and Fiona to come and try to stable the mark and heal your wounds. Solas wanted me to leave, but Cass convinced him to let me stay," he looks at Juliet smiling at him and feels a slight squeeze in his hand, "Are you okay, Jules?"

"Mmhm, I'm fine. You're always rescuing me, aren't you?"

"I promised you that I would be there to rescue you, didn't I?" he smiles at Juliet as he begins to trace her palm. "Speaking of promises," Cullen reaches over and picks up Juliet's locket, "I believe this belongs to you, _my lady_." he places her necklace around her neck and plants a kiss on her cheek.

Juliet smiles when she feels his lips touch her face and starts turning her pendant. "Thank you, Cullen," she whispered.

"You're welcome, Juliet," he winked, and he sees her blushed. "So the reason why you and I were without shirts; because the mark was interfering with the spells, and Solas is the one that suggested it. I was embarrassed, but if it meant that you live, then I would do it again in a heartbeat," Cullen looks at Juliet again and sees tears form in her eyes. He wanted to hold her and let her cry, but she shook her head, insisting that she was okay. "That's when you began to wake up, and your screams sounded like the ones when I found you in your cabin Haven. Do you remember that night, when I came to your rescue because I thought you were hurt?" he asked. "That's when I knew how to wake you up because you must have thought you were dreaming." Cullen finished.

Juliet smiles at how Cullen remembered that night, the night she told Cullen of the day her family discovered her being a mage. He sat there and listened to her, that night showed her that Cullen was someone she could trust in her personal life. She props her head on her hand and smiles at the memory of that night when everything had seemed peaceful. "You remembered that night?" she asked him as she rose from her spot and started to look for her coat, belt, and gloves.

Cullen finishes getting dressed and watches Juliet repeat the same motion. "Of course I do, and I remembered how your tattoo used to look," he teased. Cullen hears Juliet curse and cocks his head at her. "Jules, why does it look different? I have a good memory, and I don't remember seeing a white feather," he asks. When Juliet turns around to face him, she starts scratching the back of her head, not meeting his gaze. "Jules? What happened?" he asked again.

"The night after we got done training, I packed for the journey to Val Royeaux and then went to sleep. That night I entered the Fade, and a cloaked figure met me," she begins to explain. Juliet could see the tension in Cullen's face, but she proceeds, "At first, I thought it was a demon, but I had asked the mysterious person that stood before me to remove their hood. The person agreed, and it had turned out to be Elissa. I remembered from one of my lessons with my Grand Enchanter saying, a demon will mimic any of your desires. It will use it against you, for you to become possessed, but in my heart, I knew that it was Elissa," she sighs and looks down at her pendant. "She explained to me what my mother told me of the day when I left for the Circle. She believed it was a spell because of our necklaces. I was confused at first since I'm the only mage in the family, so I didn't know how my mother could cast a spell. My curiosity led me to join her with this suspicion, and we decided to see if it was a spell. When we began the chant, the sapphires started to glow, but then we felt a tense pain on our backs. After we finished, Elissa explains the journey she was on and then told me she would come to help the Inquisition." she finishes explaining.

Cullen puts the pieces of the puzzle together of what Juliet informed him, and then he looks at her. "The pain on your back was your tattoo, wasn't it? That is why you have one white feather on it, right?" he asks and sees Juliet nod. He could see her try to look away from him, but he placed his hand on her cheek. "Juliet, look at me. What's wrong?"

She sighs and feels a tear run down her face. "That dream was the first time I had seen Elissa in twenty years. Cullen, when she removed the hood, I could see how everyone has said we look identical. It felt like I was looking in a mirror instead of looking at my cousin." Juliet explains. Cullen pulled her to his chest, and within seconds tears flowed from Juliet's eyes as he held her. He wished he could do more, but Juliet said listening to her was enough.

As he is holding her, he realizes she fell asleep in his arms. _Her body must still be recovering. Juliet's strength after everything she has been through is admirable. I envy that about her, how she can put on such a strong front about her but have moments where she can be herself._ Lost in his thoughts, Cullen doesn't see Solas enter the tent.

Solas looked at Juliet's hand and could see the mark was still stable. "How is she?" he asked as he levitates his hand over her body to sense any wounds that Fiona may have missed.

Cullen clears his throat, "She's been better. She fell asleep a few minutes ago, and I believe her body is still recovering from the trauma that she has experienced." Solas nodded to Cullen's theory, which gave him a sense of peace in mind.

"I was sent to inform you that Cassandra, Leliana, and Josephine need to speak with you after I checked on Juliet. She's alright for the moment, but make sure she doesn't use any of her mana, as it will cause more exhaustion to her body. Thank you for your help, Cullen." he informed. Solas bows his head and leaves the tent. Cullen wasn't ready to leave Juliet's side, but he knew if he didn't go to the girls, they would come to him and tease him.

"Jules, you need to wake up. Cassandra needs to speak with me, and Solas said that you are fine now. You need to take it easy." Juliet stirs in Cullen's arms and soon rises from his arms.

"Alright, let's go then. Before the girls come in here and tease you, or me, or maybe both of us." she joked. Juliet grabs her staff, places it on her back, and leaves the tent. Leaving Cullen alone, and he shakes his head at how fast she can bounce back after what happened her hours ago. Cullen rises from his spot and follows after Juliet and goes to where the girls are waiting for him. He sees Juliet talking to Varric and Dorian, so at least he could trust them to keep an eye on her.


	15. Skyhold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The advisors argue on the next plan for the Inquisition, while their fearless leader is still recovering. Juliet begins to doubt who she is to the people until someone puts into a better perspective for her.
> 
> Juliet receives a new title and starts to inform the advisors of what they need to do next and someone new comes into helping out the Inquisition, but not everyone is happy about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cue "Journey to Skyhold" theme! Thank you so much for reading this! So I'm having to use my phone to post for a while since my computer is freezing up again so please give me time to post updates. Thanks!

When Juliet leaves the tent, everyone sees her and begins to cheer to see their fearless leader is thriving. She waves to everyone and goes to find Dorian. She finds him with Varric, chatting. "Hey, you two. What are you talking about?" she asked. Before they responded to Juliet's question, they pulled her into a hug and gave her a bowl of hot soup. Dorian points to the chair and gives her a stern look. Juliet giggled at his facial expression and sat down in the chair.

"Varric was telling me of how our dear Commander was acting when you left to close the Breach," Juliet cocks her head at Varric, and Dorian starts to laugh. "I told you that would raise her interest. He even mentioned to him what happened between you and Cass in Redcliffe after we met."

Juliet's eyes widen, and she starts to turn red, "You did WHAT?!" she growls. Dorian snickers at both Juliet's and Varric's expressions. Juliet turns her glaring rage to Dorian, and he stops when he meets her gaze. "Varric, why in the hell would you do that?" Varric shuffles his feet in the snow avoiding Juliet's glare.

Varric sighs, "Nix, the reason why I said something to Cullen was to show all of our support for your happiness." Juliet's anger fades away as Varric continues to explain. They sit there and listen to Varric explain how he knew Cullen from Kirkwall. "I know of the resentment and trust he has with mages, but seeing how he interacts with you, Nix, it's different. That is a different side of Cullen that not even I have seen before."

Dorian looks at Juliet and nods that it's true of how Cullen is with her. She thought about what she heard from Varric, and the past few weeks, when it was just her and Cullen. Varric and Dorian leave and head to the others to give Juliet time to process what she had learned from them. _He does act differently with me. Varric and Dorian must be telling the truth, right?_ Juliet's mind wanders as she tries to think of what she should say to Cullen, but the sound of arguing interrupts her thoughts. She finds the source to see it was Cassandra, Leliana, Josephine, and Cullen. _What is the problem this time?_ Juliet rolls her eyes and starts to walk over to where the group was before Mother Giselle stops her. "Shouldn't you be resting, my lady?"

Juliet looks at her as she is beginning to lose her patience, "All this yelling is giving me a headache, and I have rested enough. There must be something I could do to help." she tries to walk off to them again, but once again, Mother Giselle stops her. She groans and turns to her, "I understand that everyone is trying to make sure that I'm able to walk around. I am well, and again I have had enough rest. So thank you, Mother Giselle, for your concern. Now, if you'll excuse me." Juliet bows her head as she begins to walk away for the final time until she hears Mother Giselle whisper a few words.

"Yes, you may seem healed on the outside, but what about the inside?" she mutters. Juliet stops and turns back to face Mother Giselle smirking at her. "I can tell you are trying to mask what you are feeling on the inside." She points to the advisors and Cassandra. "Our leaders worry about what is next for the Inquisition. We all saw you stand against that creature and fall. We are lucky to see you alive. What more can we endure from this tragedy? What do you believe?" she asks.

Juliet sits down and begins to run her fingers through her hair, thinking of what she could do. "I don't understand why my faith or belief matters, Mother Giselle. Corypheus is real whether we like it or not." Juliet rises from the chair as she looks at everyone. She sees the people that she cares about look defeated. Her eyes bounce from Cassandra looking over the map, to Leliana and Josephine sitting by the fire, then to Cullen pacing. _Have they lost their faith in me as I have done to myself? Do they regret letting me live, or do they now wish I was dead?_ Those dark thoughts ran through Juliet's mind as she kept looking at the ones who were in front of her. Soon she hears the voice of someone singing behind her, and Juliet turns to see it was Mother Giselle. She was singing a song that Juliet remembers from the times she went to the Chantry with her family. As Mother Giselle leads the hymn, Juliet's eyes gaze to see Leliana joining in, then Cullen, soon everyone around her begins to sing and bow to her. Juliet sees the spirit, Cole, closing Roderick's eyes as he passes away from his wounds. Once the song is over, Mother Giselle looks to Juliet, "An army needs a cause more than an enemy. If you will excuse me, Lady Herald." She bows her head and walks away. Juliet nods and tries to find Cullen in the crowd.

After she spots him, she takes a deep breath and starts to head over until Solas stops her. "A word, if you don't mind, Juliet?" she sighs as she nods and follows him to a small area. When they arrive, there is a lantern. Solas lights it and begins to speak, "A wise woman, worthy of leading. The orb which Corypheus was carrying is elven. It's the power that he used to open the Breach when he used it against you. Unlocking it could be the reason why for the destruction of the Conclave." he sighs. "I do not know why Corypheus survived or how people will respond to the origin where the orb came from."

"You have a right to be worried. This whole mess is confusing enough, and how the elves could be the easy target to blame," Solas nods as Juliet continues, "Right now, we need a place where we can rebuild, and not be in the open like we are now. That is why Cassandra and the others were arguing earlier."

"I might know of a place that is not far from where we are. We must leave in the morning to get there by daybreak." Solas and Juliet walk away from the lantern, and they begin to discuss the place they will soon call home. The next morning, Juliet leads the Inquisition with Cassandra beside her, and she turns to see her advisors right behind her. Cullen and her smile back to each other, and they continue to walk ahead. She remembers what Solas informed her the night before, "By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it and changed _you._ Scout to the north and be the guide they need you to be. There is a place where we can grow and rebuild." Solas joins her side and reminds her they are close to the location. He helps Juliet upon a rock and points to a castle that was surrounded by mountains. "Skyhold."

Juliet takes in its beauty and looks to Solas, "It's beautiful." He nods in agreement, and they walk down to the path leading to their new home. A few days have passed since they arrived at Skyhold, and Juliet enters the lower courtyard entrance. She sees Cassandra and the others in a small circle. Juliet wonders what they could be discussing.

_"Are you sure she is ready for this?" Leliana had asked._

_Cassandra nodded and spoke, "Yes, she is the one that has been leading since we first started."_

Juliet shakes her head that she could hear what the group was chatting about her. She remembers that she could read minds, but it has been years since she had done it. As she rubs her temples from what recently happened, she doesn't notice Cassandra waving her over to join them. When Juliet gets closer to the group, the advisors head in separate directions. Juliet looks at Cassandra, "Is something wrong, Cass?" Cassandra shakes her head and cocks her head for Juliet to follow her up the stairs.

"Have you noticed Skyhold is becoming a pilgrimage each day if the word has reached everyone throughout Thedas. Maybe even Corypheus as well. We have the walls and numbers to put up a fight, but this threat is far more than we anticipated." she informs, and Juliet looks to see where she was going with this, "We do know what drew him to you, Nix."

Juliet nods and takes off her glove, "He came for the mark. Since I can't part with it, he now wants me dead."

As she puts her glove back on her hand, Cassandra starts to speak again, "Jules, the Anchor has the power, but it is not the reason why you are still alive. Your choices led us to heal the sky, your determination brought us out of Haven, and you are the creature's rival because of what you did." Once they reach the top of the stairs, Leliana is waiting for them while holding a sword. A dragon wrapped around the hilt. "The Inquisition requires a leader, the one who has already been leading it since the very beginning," Juliet looks out to the crowd and sees her followers joining in the gathering below. Her eyes meet Cullen's. He winks at her before turning her attention back to Cassandra, and hears one word leave her lips, "You."

Juliet looks at Leliana and sees her nod, "You all have that much confidence in me?" she asks, and Cassandra chuckles.

"All of these people have their lives because of you, Juliet. They will follow you, Nix." Cassandra answers.

"But that wasn't the question, Cass. All of you agreed to do this?" Juliet asked again.

"I won't lie to you, Nix. Handing this power to just anyone is troubling enough. I believe in you. We all do. We wouldn't have the Inquisition without you. How it is to serve and how you lead is up to you." she explains.

Juliet looks at the blade once more and takes in every word Cassandra said to her. She takes a deep breath and places her hand on the sword, "Corypheus will never let me live in peace. He made that clear, and he wants to rule over us all. We need to stop him."

Cassandra joins her side, "Wherever you lead us," she then focuses her attention to the gathering below them, "Have our people been told?"

Josephine yells, "Yes, and soon the world!"

"Commander, will they follow?" Cassandra asks.

Cullen turns facing the crowd, "Inquisition, will you follow?" the crowd cheers, "Will you fight?" they cheer louder, "Will we triumph?" they cheer once more. Cullen draws his sword and points it to where Juliet stood, "Your leader! Your Herald! Your _Inquisitor!_ " Soon everyone in Skyhold cheers louder, and Juliet raises her sword to the sky. The advisors and Juliet enter the fortress. They see the great hall discarded with pieces of the roof on the floors. As they take in the scenery around them, Cullen whispers, "So this is where it begins?"

"It started in the courtyard, and this is where we turn that promise into action." Leliana's voice echoes throughout the hall as she answers Cullen's question.

"Leliana, how will we do that? We do not know what this Corypheus is. All we know is that he wanted Juliet's mark." Josephine asked.

Juliet looks down at her gloved hand and sighs. She turns to face the trio, "We need more information on Corypheus. There must be someone out there that knows what or who he is."

Cullen shakes his head, "Jules, the only ones who could know is when they saw him in battle. Most people might not know he even exists."

"But we do know what he intends to do next, the assassination of Empress Celene. Could you imagine what her death would mean? Not to mention the demon army he would control, from what you and Dorian saw in that dark future." Leliana explained. Juliet runs her fingers through her hair as those dark memories come back to haunt her. "I would feel better if we knew what we were dealing with," she adds.

"I know someone who could help with that," the group turned to see Varric entering the hall alone, "Everyone getting inspirational outside helped jog my memory, so I sent a message to an old friend of mine. He will be here in a couple of days. He has crossed paths with Corypheus before, and he might know what he's planning."

Juliet notices how Varric keeps checking over his shoulder and raises a brow to him, "Well, I'm always looking forward to adding more allies. Will you introduce me?" She asks.

Varric walks closer to her and whispers before he checks over his shoulder once more, "Nix, parading around might cause a fuss. It would be best if you both met in private, say the battlements above the tavern?" Juliet nods, and Varric leaves the hall.

Leliana and Cullen exchange glances. They both thought who the mystery person was and knew it wasn't a good idea for Cassandra to know. "If Varric brought who I think he has, Cass is gonna kill him," Leliana mumbled. Juliet's eyes widen, and she turns around to face her. Before she could say anything, Leliana stopped her, "Nix, just wait until you meet this friend of Varric's, and we will go from there."

When Juliet returned from traveling to the Storm Coast to handle a problem for the Inquisition, she met Varric's mystery friend, and as Leliana was right, Cassandra will kill him for hiding this from her.


	16. Hawke and Chess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet meets the Champion of Kirkwall, Garrett Hawke, who suggests that the Wardens' disappearance could be in connection to Corypheus. Hawke adds that a friend of his, who is in the Wardens, may know more, and he was in hiding in Crestwood. Dorian takes matters into his own hands and gives Juliet and Cullen the push they needed for their developing relationship, but will it work?

When Juliet enters Skyhold castle after her dealings in the Storm Coast, Varric informs her that his "friend" arrived a day before her return. Juliet nods and heads to her new quarters to freshen up. As she entered her room, she could see Josephine spared no expense for her. Juliet loved everything about her quarters, but the balcony overlooking the mountains was her favorite. She could feel all the worries and stress fade away from the view. She took in the landscape and felt the breeze hit her face, as she hoped this feeling would never disappear in the coming days. Juliet felt time freeze around her for a moment.

As Juliet descends to the door leading to the main hall, Dorian greets her. "Ahh, Juliet, just the woman I was waiting for!" he smirked at her. Juliet shakes her head at him, and by the tone in Dorian's voice, she could tell he was up to something. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She folds her arms and cocks her head at him, "Dorian, I have been around you long enough to know when you are planning a scheme. Now, tell me what you're up to."

Dorian swallowed and averted her glare, "Just come meet me in the gardens after you meet with Varric, please?" he pouted. Juliet giggled at the sight of his face. She nodded at his request, and he squeezed her before walking back to the library. She sighs and heads to the battlements on the western side of the castle.

Juliet sees Varric facing the courtyard, "Varric?" He jumps when he hears her voice and turns around to her. "Varric, you have been jumpy ever since we arrived here. What's wrong?" She asked as she walked over to his side.

"I'm sorry, it's just I'm trying to avoid Cassandra right now. The reason why I have been acting like this is that my friend you're about to meet is who she was looking for before we met you. I told her that I was unaware of where he was, but I lied. I did it to protect him." he explains.

Juliet thought to herself and wondered who he was talking about, "Varric, who am I meeting?" Suddenly a sound of metal footsteps descended from the stairs, and Varric gestures his hand to the man that stood a few feet from them.

"Nix, meet Hawke, The Champion of Kirkwall. Hawke, this is Nix." Varric introduced the two mages to another.

Hawke walks over to Juliet and shakes her hand, "Though I don't use that title anymore. Garrett Hawke, nice to meet you, Nix."

Juliet smiles, "Likewise, though that is my nickname from Varric, and everyone else. My name is Juliet Trevelyan, and you can call me Juliet, Jules, Nix, or Inquisitor." Hawke nodded. Juliet looked to Varric, "Speaking of Varric, he told me that you have information on Corypheus. Is that true?" she asked.

"Yes, a few months before the fall of the Chantry, a letter came to me from a carta clan that was threatening my brother, Carver, and I. So when Carver, Varric, Isabela, and I went to handle it, and that is when we discovered Corypheus. Grey Wardens were holding him in prison, they wanted for my brother and me to help them harness his power, but we refused. We killed them then went to the top of his imprisonment to kill him next. When we reached the top, we were face-to-face with him. We fought and killed him. There was no pulse, and he laid there dead, so we left because we accomplished the mission." He props against the balcony and sighs as he looks out to the courtyard, "You know, I had a view almost like this, back in Kirkwall. It used to be a beautiful sight until I could see everyone depending on me."

Juliet sits against the rock and crosses her arms, "I know what you mean. You're lucky it was just a city. I got half of Thedas." Hawke nods at her jest and turns his face to her.

"Varric said that your spymaster was having trouble finding the Wardens. I have a feeling that with Corypheus returning and the Wardens' disappearance could be connected. I have an old friend who might know more. He will be in Crestwood," he informs her, "We could leave in a couple of days, as it has been a long journey for both of us."

Juliet laughs and nods in agreement, "Thank you for coming, Hawke. I will give you and Varric time to catch up. Dorian wanted to meet me in the gardens." She waves goodbye to the old duo and heads to the gardens to see what Dorian needed from her. Once she walks through the door from the main hall leading to the grounds, she begins to look for Dorian. She spots him sitting at a table in the pavilion, but he wasn't alone. Cullen was across from him, and they were playing a game of chess. _I hope Dorian hasn't embarrassed me. If he has, I am going to kill him._ Juliet swallows and walks over to where they were and hears a little bit of their conversation.

"Gloat all you like. I have this one." Cullen spoke confidently. They were both unaware Juliet was approaching them.

"Are you sassing me, Commander?" Dorian cocks his head at him, "I didn't know you had it in you." Dorian sees Juliet in the corner of his eye and winks at her.

"Why do I even..." Cullen abruptly stops when he sees her "Juliet!" and stands up from his chair.

"Hello, boys. Are you playing nice Dorian?" she asks. She glares at him, and Dorian could see that Juliet was upset about the setup.

He chuckles, "I'm always nice." he smiles at Cullen. "Shall we finish our game, or does this mean I win?" Juliet stands behind Dorian, watching his moves and notices that if Cullen continued playing, he would win. "Cullen, you will need to come to terms with my victory. You will feel much better." he praised when placing his chess piece.

"Really?" Cullen asked and moved his chess piece to win the round. "Because I just won, and I feel fine." He grins, Juliet snickers at Dorian's defeated face and winks at Cullen.

Dorian glares at her and smirks that his plan worked, then faces Cullen, "Don't get smug, there will be no living with you." He rises from his chair and offers it to Juliet, as she sits down and whispers in her ear, "This is the push the both of you need. You will thank me later." He winks and heads back inside the castle. Their eyes follow him as he departs and back to each other.

"I'm guessing he told you to come to the gardens as well?" Cullen asked, and Juliet nodded. "Would you like to play a game? Unless you have urgent matters to attend?"

Juliet shakes her head, "Set the board, Commander. I knew you would win against Dorian, as his ego blinded his strategy." she adjusts herself in her seat and clears her mind to prepare for the game.

"I noticed when you winked at me that you knew I would win. My older sister and I would play this after our chores, and she would always win, which was all the time. My brother and I would practice for weeks, and the day I finally won against her was bittersweet." He explained as he set the board and smiled at the memory.

Juliet had seen him smile and started the game, "You have siblings?" she asked as she moved her piece.

"Yes, I have an older sister, Mia, then it's me, after me it's my younger brother Branson, and our baby sister, Rosalie," Cullen was lost in thought that he didn't notice Juliet placed her piece. "Is it my turn?" Juliet nods and giggles at his unsure expression. A few moves later, Cullen adjusts himself and looks at Juliet, "You know this is probably the longest we haven't talked about the Inquisition?" he asked.

"I noticed, and I'm grateful we get a chance to spend time together." she moves the next piece, she hoped it would help her win.

Cullen whispers, "You said that." Their eyes meet, and they both smile at each other. He looks down at the board and looks at her, "My turn again?" She nods at him and moves his piece, and they continue to play their game after Cullen's turn. It felt like hours had passed, and the final move was placed. "Well, Juliet, it looks like you won, but I enjoyed this. We should do this again." They gather the pieces up, and Cullen looks at her, "Jules, I was wondering if-" before he could finish his question, they hear Scout Harding yelling for her.

"NIX, YOU NEED TO COME TO THE FORGE! CASSANDRA AND VARRIC ARE IN A BRAWL!" and she runs back to the courtyard.

Juliet's eyes widen, "Oh shit! Cass knows about Hawke, and I have a feeling what Leli said is going to happen." Cullen gives her a puzzled look until he remembers a few days ago, of Leliana's suspicion of the mysterious friend of Varric's was Hawke. Juliet gives an apologizing look to Cullen and heads to the Forge. Cullen runs to his office and places his chess set on his desk, and runs to help Juliet with Cassandra and Varric.

When Juliet enters the Forge, she hears the sounds of tables and chairs moving across the floor above. When she reaches the top of the stairs, she sees Cassandra have Varric by his shirt. Both are unaware that Juliet was nearby, "YOU LITTLE SHIT! YOU KNEW WHERE HAWKE WAS ALL ALONG?!"

Varric pushes Cassandra off of him, "Damn right, I did!" Cassandra roars and tries to hit him. Varric ducks as she does and runs to where Juliet was.

Cullen is behind Juliet and whispers in her ear, "Shouldn't we do something?" Juliet shakes her head and waits to see if Cassandra tries to hit Varric again.

Varric points his finger at Cassandra, "You kidnapped me and interrogated me! What did you expect from me?!" Cassandra tries to hit Varric again before Juliet stops her.

"Cass, that's enough!" as Juliet steps in front of her with Cullen stepping behind her.

"Both of you are taking his side?" Cassandra roared.

"No, we are making sure you two don't kill each other," Cullen answered. Varric got closer to them as Cassandra walked around a table.

"We needed someone to lead the Inquisition," Cassandra took a breath and looked at Juliet, "First we tried to find your cousin, but she had vanished. Then, we looked for Hawke, but he was gone too. We thought there was a connection, but there wasn't. It was all Varric's fault, and you kept him from us!" she growled. "Hawke could've been at the Conclave! If anyone could have saved most Holy..."

Juliet looks at her, "Cass, you know Varric isn't responsible for the events at the Conclave." Cassandra sighs and rubs her temples then nods. 

Varric moves away from behind Cullen and sighs, "I was protecting my best friend. You know what I think if Hawke would've been at the Conclave, then he could've died. Don't you think you people have done enough damage to him? He has been through hell, and now he feels that he failed at doing his job of being a hero. We made sure Corypheus was dead, but we don't know how he was able to come back." Cassandra turns her back when hearing Varric's defense, and she places her hands on her face.

Juliet looks at Cullen and whispers in his ear, "We will talk later, but I think it's best to get Varric out of here. I got Cass, but can get Varric to leave?" Cullen nods as he signals Varric to follow him out, and they both leave. Juliet walks over to Cassandra and places a hand on her back, "You okay, Cass?"

Cassandra lets out a frustrated sigh, "Yes, or I don't know. Nix, I believed that entire story, he spun it up, and I swallowed it. For months, we thought it was a coincidence of when Leliana lost contact with your cousin and when Hawke disappeared. Speaking of Elissa, have you had any more dream encounters with her?" Juliet thought to herself for a moment, has she had a dream of Elissa since then? She reaches for her locket and notices the sapphires remained in its normal state. Juliet meets Cassandra's gaze and shakes her head. "I see, Jules, can you give me a moment alone?" Juliet nods and hugs Cassandra then leaves the Forge, leaving her alone. Juliet hopes she helped the situation between Cassandra and Varric, but only time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!! So my computer is still having issues so I'm still having to post using my phone. Sending good vibes and lots of love your way if you ever need it!


	17. Words of Encouragement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone comes to visit Cullen in his office and helps give advice he needs to confront his feelings for Juliet.

Midday arrived at Skyhold, and everyone was whispering that the Champion of Kirkwall was among them. Juliet wanted to return to her room and put this day behind her, but it wasn't simple for her. She wanted to see what Cullen was going to say to her before she had to go to diffuse the fight between Cassandra and Varric. The moment they shared in the gardens felt like a dream. Juliet loved any time they were able to share. Part of her needed to know if he shared the same desire as she did, but she knew she had to check on Varric first. As Juliet walks in the main hall, she sees Varric facing the fireplace holding his crossbow. "Cass has calmed down now, so you can take your hand off Bianca," she reassures, and Varric lets out a dry laugh and nods. Though he doesn't remove his hand from Bianca, "Varric, are you alright?" she asked.

"I will feel better when you tell me who or what she is hitting right now." he jests and turns around to face Juliet. "I didn't mean for this to happen this way, but I'm guessing Seeker saw the two of you talking earlier," he suggested. Juliet shrugged and propped against the table beside Varric.

"I understand why you lied, but you should've told all of us that you knew who Corypheus was. Varric, I'm protecting Elissa, my cousin. She is on a journey to find the cure for the Blight, and I feared that if I informed the advisors, they would force me to contact her and tell her to come to us. Elissa informed me once she found the solution to the Blight, she would come to find us and join the Inquisition."

After Juliet explained and Varric informed her that he was alright, they played a game of Wicked Grace. During the game, he taught her how to place her bets, using the right cards, and how to control her facial expressions. Juliet took every mental note, and after a few games, she felt she was ready to play another game against Varric, and so they did. On the other side of Skyhold, the Commander was pacing in his office. He contemplated the feelings he could no longer ignore, the ones for the Inquisitor. Lost in his thoughts, Cullen doesn't hear the knock coming from the side door. After a few more knocks Cullen's attention is focused on the noise. Puzzled, Cullen heads to the door and opens it, where he is an old friend greets him. "Hawke, come in." Hawke bows his head at him and enters Cullen's office.

"Hello, Cullen. It's good to see you. Varric told me this is where your office was, and I wanted to come by." Hawke took in the decor of Cullen's office and could see that Varric was right. Cullen did look different. By his attire, he could see even though his templar's past is unmistakable, but that Cullen was trying to be a new person. Cullen walks to his desk and offers Hawke a chair, and he accepts. Hawke places his staff against the wall and sits in front of Cullen.

"I apologize for the mess. I have been working nonstop, but haven't been able to clean up," Cullen chuckles. Hawke couldn't believe his eyes. The former Knight-Captain of the Templars was laughing instead of being strict. "I guess you heard what happened after your meeting with Juliet-I mean the Inquisitor?" Cullen tried to catch himself from saying Juliet's name, but it was too late Hawke was laughing.

"Indeed, I did, and I apologize for the trouble that happened. I'm surprised by how Varric proved me wrong about you. You have changed Cullen," Hawke sits back as he folds his arms on his chest. Cullen looked unsure by what he meant of what Varric told him. He raises a brow for Hawke to give an explanation and crosses his arms on his chest. "What? Are you surprised that I have only been here for a day, and I can figure you out better than most people?" he asked.

Cullen sighs, "Garrett, what do you mean Varric said I changed? There's nothing about me that is different." Hawke rises from his chair and lays his back against the wall. He opens a pocket of his and hands Cullen a piece of parchment. As Cullen picks up the paper, he notices it's the letter from Varric to Hawke.

_Hawke,_

_I know I promised to keep your secret of where you are, but you need to come to Skyhold. Corypheus has returned, and you are the only one who knows what he is. The Inquisitor or Nix, almost died when the destruction of Haven occurred. We were all scared for her life, but I think Cullen was more afraid. He never left her side, and I thought I would never say this, but Curly has changed since the years we have known him._

_When he mentions her name or sees her, you can see something changes within him. When Nix left to close the Breach, Cullen explained to me how he felt about her, and I could see the fear he held within himself to commit to her. His past with mages gave him that fear, which is taking him away from this chance to be happy. Hawke, when you arrive, I need to meet with Nix, but afterward, please help Cullen to give him the push he needs to fight for her before it's too late. If anyone can do it, it's you. I will see you in a few days, my friend._ _  
_

As Cullen reads the letter, he rubs his chin by how Varric described the way he changed. When he finishes the letter and rereads it twice, his gaze turns to Hawke. Without saying anything by Cullen's expression, Hawke only nodded. Varric was right, and now Cullen was unsure of what he should do next. Should he tell Juliet how he felt, or should he continue to ignore these feelings? "I don't know what to say to this. Maybe it's better off that I don't tell Jules the way I feel. She would only get hurt in the end, and she has dealt with enough pain that would last a lifetime." Cullen hands the letter to Hawke and runs his other hand through his hair.

Hawke shakes his head and places the letter back in his pocket. "Cullen, how do you know it will be best that you don't tell her? Is that because she has said it, or because of your fear? Let that fear give you the confidence you need to tell Juliet how you feel because Varric is right if you don't do it now, it might be too late." _  
_

Cullen rises from his chair and looks at Hawke, "Garrett, it's not that simple! We are at war, and she's the Inquisitor for Maker's sake! I'm just a poor farm boy who became a templar, her _sworn enemy!_ She doesn't trust the templar, but she puts trust in me even after what they did to her! I care about her, I want to protect her, but I worry that if we were to be together. One of us will get hurt in the end," he groans in frustration and punches the bookcase located near his desk, and a few books fly off the shelf. Cullen rubs his head, and Hawke walks over to him, "Garrett, don't." he pleaded, but Hawke shook his head.

"Cullen, do you see why Varric and I said that you have changed? You are the only one that calls me by my first name, just like the way you do for Juliet. I used to live in that same fear you are experiencing now, but I didn't let that stop me from telling the woman I love how I felt about her. I know I have given you reason not to trust me, but trust me on this. Alright?" he pleaded as he looked at Cullen.

Cullen takes a deep breath and nods, "Thank you, Hawke. I'm sorry for blowing up on you like this."

Hawke laughs, as he pats Cullen on the back, "Let's hope you don't blow up on Nix when you tell her." Cullen joins in the laughter. Later on, Hawke explains what he has heard from his contact in Crestwood about the events transpiring around the town. An army of the undead attacking the village, a giant rift appearing in the middle of the lake, and a possible dragon located nearby a bandit fort. They continue to discuss the disappearance of the Wardens and what they would need to inform the others in the War Room. Soon they are interrupted by a knock on the front door of Cullen's office. Cullen walks over to the door when he opens it, and he sees Juliet pacing back and forth on the top step.

"Hey, I came over to see if I could talk to you, but if you're busy, I can come back," she asked. Cullen looks at Hawke, and he sees the nod to go ahead and talk to her. Hawke bows and heads out the door to his room that Leliana had ready for him.

"Su-Sure, actually I was coming to see you. Would you like to go somewhere in private?" he asked. She nods, and they head out to the battlements. Cullen wraps his arm around her waist and leads her to where they could be in private. "It's a nice evening, don't you think?" he asked her, and he sees her smile. "There was something you wished to discuss?" Juliet removes herself from Cullen's side and leans against the terrace and sighs, "Jules, what's wrong?"

She holds back tears forming and tries to speak, "Cullen, I care about you, but I have the fear that this could be a dream. Do you feel the same-maybe this was a mistake, to say anything," she mumbles, and tries to walk away until Cullen grabs her by her waist. "Cullen?" she asks. His face inches away from hers, and she could feel his breath tickle her skin. Before their lips had the chance to touch, a scout calls for Cullen to oversee a report.

"Commander?" The scout, named Jim, was reading the report he had his hand unaware Cullen was with Juliet. Cullen sighs as he rolls his eyes, then steps away from Juliet. "Commander, you wanted a copy of Sister Leliana's report-"

"WHAT?!" Cullen growls as he narrows his eyes at him, and the scout freezes in his place.

"You said you wanted the report...without delay," Jim whimpered. Cullen steps forward, and Juliet snickers at them. "Or to your office. Of course!" he runs off, and Juliet bursts into laughter.

"Well, I think that worked-" before Juliet could finish, she feels Cullen's lips pressed against hers. His grip on her waist tightened and soon wandered up to her back into her hair.

"How's that for an answer?" he chuckled.

"That was the answer I was hoping for." she winked at him, but something in her mind stopped her. She needed to know one thing before she could fully develop their relationship. "Even though I'm a Mage?" she asked.

He turns her around facing the mountains, "Juliet, you see this view? I wanted to show it to you because it reminds me of you. You can be a force of nature, but you are a lovely sight. You being a mage is what makes you a rare beauty and this energy, my _beautiful bird._ " She turns back around and faces him. Juliet wraps her arms around his neck and smiles. They were finally happy, and they were together. They both found their lights in this darkness surrounding the world. They both knew the war was needing them to be focused, but they needed each other for their strength.


	18. The Destruction of Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elissa arrives at the Inn at Lake Calenhad days away from Haven, unaware that Haven had been destroyed by a new monster. While she was there, she overhears people talking about Haven's destruction, and where the famous Inquisition was now located. She arrives at Haven to give her any clue where her twin sister and her army could've gone. Flemeth greets her and informs her of Juliet's next location. Elissa understands that she must journey to Skyhold before Juliet is out of her reach once again.

The journey from the Koccari Wilds to Lake Calenhad was long and tiresome. Trekking throughout Ferelden when creating the army to fight the Archdemon was nothing compared to the journey Elissa was on now. She had finally found the cure for the Calling, but she learned of a hidden family secret. Her twin sister was raised as her cousin to keep them safe, but the next part of her mission was finding her. She found both answers from a reliable source, Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds. Elissa knew she could trust Flemeth since she had saved her life, but convincing Alistair and Morrigan to do the same would be difficult. She thought back to the memory when Morrigan found out about Flemeth using her daughters' bodies as a host to expand her life. She remembered the look on her friend's face as the fear appeared. As Morrigan asked her to slay her mother, Elissa agreed. That is what she did until she had seen Flemeth standing before her at the cabin, years later.

Elissa arrives at Lake Calenhad and notices it still had not changed since her last time visiting. She walks over to the inn nearby the docks, _The Spoiled Princess._ The name remained the same when her and her party came to find Brother Genitivi and the Urn of Sacred Ashes. They were both located in Haven, the place where she hoped her sister would be. Before entering the building, Elissa fixes the hood of her cloak and scarf to avoid detection. She finds a table nearby and takes a seat, observing the area when she overhears a group of villagers. Her gift of being a rogue enhanced her senses of sight, hearing, and smell, so when she could hear a few feet away from what the group was discussing, she used it to her advantage.

_"I'm telling you, snow is covering the whole village!" said one of the men._

_Another joined in, "Well, where did the Inquisition go, and what of its leader? The Herald of Andraste survived, didn't she?" asked a woman._ Elissa's eyes widened as she heard this conversation and sat there and continued to listen.

" _She survived, yes, and it turns out she led the army to a place in the mountains. A castle of some sort called Skyhold. I am taking my family there in the morning." said another man._ Elissa was unsure what to do, she knew she needed rest, but she had to find Juliet. Elissa rises from her chair and pays for a room. When she enters the space, she removes her swords, arrows, and bow. She decides that in the morning, she would head to Haven first to find out what happened. After she would finish searching Haven, she would journey to Skyhold. 

After removing her weapons and bags, Elissa flops on the bed, twisting her locket in her hand. She was frustrated, worried, and exhausted. Frustration was the first emotion she felt; she was so close to seeing Juliet again, and now they were farther apart. The concern of worry came next, what could destroy Haven, and how did Juliet survive? Lastly, she felt exhaustion creep up on her, and her lids felt heavy, soon she succumbed to sleep. When morning came, Elissa could sense her body feel refreshed, and she realized she made the right choice to get rest before the journey to Haven. Elissa left _The Spoiled Princess_ for the last time and headed west to Haven.

Days passed, and she finally made it to her destination, Haven. She could see the group of villagers was right, as the snow did cover most of Haven. There were bodies of soldiers she suspected were part of the Inquisition, as well as Templars. She walks closer to one templar body and notices that he looked different from the ones she had seen. He had a red glow that lit his body up like a candle, as it resembled lyrium, but not of the blue type she had seen in the Deep Roads. She continues to walk around what she could in the snow-covered village and shards of Red Lyrium sticking out of the ground. "What the hell happened here?" she whispered to herself, so far she had no luck in finding any clues. As she keeps looking, she hears a dragon roar above her head and looks up to see it was Flemeth. "Again?" she groaned, and Flemeth landed a few feet from her, transforming into her human form. "Are you following me?"

"Yes, but only as a guide to lead you in the right direction to your sister. Have you found anything besides the obvious?" Flemeth asked.

Elissa shakes her head, "No, except this red lyrium and the bodies of the templars. I wish I could find out what happened that day, but it's impossible." She kicks a rock and groans in frustration. She hears Flemeth laughing, puzzled by what could've been so funny. "Flemeth?"

"It is possible." she grinned. Flemeth begins to cast a spell where they could see what happened that fateful night. "Now, listen to me Elissa, what you see, is how everything happened, so you must remain focused. Do you understand?" she asked before continuing, and Elissa nods.  Elissa could see Haven shift into the way it looked before becoming a place covered in snow. That is when she sees her twin sister from afar.

_Elissa sees Juliet and a woman talking. They were discussing how the Breach was calm for the moment, then the bells of Haven echoed in the village. She turns her attention to a voice she had heard before, yelling for Juliet to come to the gates. Juliet runs past and heads to the entrance with the woman, called Cass, and two others. Elissa follows the group back to the entry of Haven. There she sees a trio of two women and a man waiting for her sister. One of the women turns around, and she sees it's Leliana, her best friend. She had changed in the past ten years. Next, the man turns around, and Elissa was unsure who this man could be until Cass called him by his first name. It was Cullen, the young templar, who went through days of torture, begging her to kill the mages when the Circle lost control. He had changed, and she could see he looked better._

_After the large group discussed why the alarm bell had alerted them, a flash of light appeared on the other side of the doors. Elissa watches her sister walk down the steps with Cullen staying beside her. A young man named Cole informs them that the Elder One is angry that the Inquisition had recruited the mages. She hears Juliet pleading with Cullen to give her a plan, she listens to what Cullen instructed, and when the beginning of the destruction of Haven started. She watched her sister fight in the battle of protecting Haven, in awe that she grew from the scared eight-year-old girl to a powerful twenty-eight-year-old mage. Soon after the first trebuchet fired, she followed the group to the next one and could see the next fire cause an avalanche, which slowed down the army of Red Templars from reaching Haven. They celebrated for a few seconds until a screech of a dragon echoed in the skies._ _ Elissa looks up to see a dragon with Red Lyrium as its spikes, breathing the same lyrium as its fire towards the trebuchet. _

_Juliet and her team run to the Chantry, helping the villagers as they come through, and Elissa follows them into the building. She watches Cullen and Juliet discussing what is next for the Inquisition. Elissa hears Juliet offer to sacrifice herself so they could live, and she notices Cullen becoming worried for her sister, just the same way Alistair does when they would travel together. The duo begins to argue, and Elissa laughs how Juliet never grew out of the arguing to have the last word. The final decision came, and Elissa watched the special moment Juliet and Cullen share before they went in opposite directions._ _ She sees her give Cullen her locket and runs out the door, holding back the tears.  _

_ Elissa continues to run with Juliet and soon sees the Elder One coming out of the flames towards her. She sees her sister's hand glow for the first time and hears what the Elder One, named Corypheus, demands the Anchor's return. Juliet's resistance of not parting with the mark angers him, and he throws her in rage. Elissa wished she could help her sister stand, and to her surprise, Juliet stands with a sword in her hands.  _ _ Finally, Elissa sees what caused the final avalanche. It was Juliet, as she aimed the last trebuchet at the mountain nearby. _

A flash of light blinds Elissa, she returns to the present of Haven. Flemeth stood in front of her. "Well, did you finally get the answers from that memory?" she asked. 

Elissa explains, "Yeah. Juliet caused this, but that was to give the Inquisition time to escape. The Elder One, Corypheus, and his dragon are what threatened them. He wanted the mark on my sister's hand, but it resisted to part with her. I overheard a group of villagers discussing that they moved to a castle in the mountains, called-"

"Skyhold." Flemeth interrupted. Elissa looked at her, confused by how she knew the name where they were.

Elissa sighs, "I need to head there, but I have no idea where to go nor how to get there. I don't suppose you have any ideas?" she asked.

Flemeth snaps her fingers, and a black horse appears beside them, "This is Midnight, he knows the way. Once you reach Skyhold, he will return to me, but how to enter undetected is up to you, my dear."

Elissa hops onto Midnight and looks at Flemeth, "Thank you again, Flemeth. Will we see each other again?" she asked.

Flemeth laughs, "Only time will tell." Elissa nods and rides off to Skyhold. Finally, the chance to see Juliet motivates her to keep going until she reaches the castle. The sun was setting in the sky, and the long ride to Skyhold was her next stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I wanted to focus on Elissa for a little bit since this story is mainly about her and Juliet. I wanted to share her POV after writing the first two Skyhold chapters, and now it's here! So thank you again for reading this story and I hope I get to post more for you guys! Sending love and good vibes your way!


	19. Letters and Gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gossip of the Commander's and Inquisitor's relationship is on everyone's lips in Skyhold. Juliet and Leliana receive letters from Elissa, informing them of her progress and her next move. Leliana's letter holds instructions and information about Juliet and she must keep it a secret from her. Juliet prepares to head to Crestwood and handles the trouble they are facing with the undead, and find Hawke's friend before the Wardens find him first.

The next morning, Juliet awakens with a smile on her face from the day before of the moment she shared with Cullen. She thought it was a dream, but it wasn't. It was real, so real and perfect, just like the sunrise over the mountains. She knew that Cullen was a private person when it came to his personal life. She wanted to see him again and ask about where their relationship stood. As she lays on her bed, she thinks back of the day when Cullen said her name the first time. The way her name sounded after it left his lips made her melt, then hearing the sound of Leliana's and Josphine's laughter embarrassing him made her giggled. Juliet rises from her bed, and starts to untangle the loose braid as she walks out to the balcony.

The fortress was quiet at this hour, which meant no one was roaming throughout the castle. This time during the day, Juliet could enjoy the peace and beauty of the view. The mountains were so beautiful to wake up to, but she knew that she must start the day.

Juliet walks back into her room, she begins to fix her hair then starts to find an outfit. She discovers a purple jacket and gloves, a red tunic, along with black leggings and boots. As she gets ready, a bird flies into her quarters with a piece of parchment attached to its leg. While the bird waits for Juliet to retrieve the paper, he helps himself to the bowl of nuts on her desk. She walks over and removes the note. When Juliet looks to see who it's from, she sees it's from Elissa.

_Nix,_

_I found the cure for the Calling, and now I am on my way to you. A couple of days ago, I arrived at an inn miles away from Haven, and I had overheard a group of villagers discussing what happened. The next day, I traveled to Haven to see what the fuss was about, and my eyes couldn't believe what I had seen. I had not seen that much destruction since Amaranthine and the red lyrium, along with the templars. An old friend of mine had shown me what happened that night, seeing you, and Nightingale gave me hope that I'm closer to seeing you both again, and this time in person. I watched the battle, and as I did, I noticed the way you have grown since the day I found out that you were a mage. This same friend helped me find the cure and informed me of the family secret in our family. We need to wait until I reach you, for I fear this letter could fall into the wrong hands. Be patient, and be careful; I'm almost there. Nix, I know patience isn't like you, but for me, please try._ _I will see you soon, I promise! Remember, our charms will be our guiding keys._

_I love you,_

_Dove_

She wipes the tear streaming down her cheek and laughs at the last few sentences in Elissa's letter. Elissa remembered Juliet wasn't the best at having patience. She envied how Elissa was patient when Juliet was the opposite. They might have looked identical, but they were different in personality. She folds the letter and places it in her pocket. She wanted to show Leliana and Cullen to see what they would say. Juliet takes in the balcony view one last time before heading downstairs. When she enters the main hall of the castle, she starts to look for Cullen. As she walks through the corridor, Juliet hears a noble couple gossiping. "It's a perfect match. Although I wonder about the titles of their relationship, how will it work?" the husband asked his wife. Juliet wonders what they could be whispering and listens.

"I don't know, dear, they're the leaders in the Inquisition. Titles might not matter to them, as long as they have each other." the wife answered.

Juliet cocks her head about who they were discussing until the words: "leaders of the Inquisition" rang in her ears. Her eyes grow wide, and she walks out of the hall with her looking down. Averting everyone's gaze as she walks by, waves to Varric, and leaves to find Cullen. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Cullen, please be in your office!" she whispers. She knocks on his door, hoping he was there or even awake. "Damn it. Come on, Cullen!" she whispers.

Cullen opens the door, shocked to see Juliet standing there, "Jules? Is everything okay?" he asks. Juliet doesn't answer as she takes in the sight of Cullen being shirtless and dripping with sweat. "Jules?" he asks again. _Did I interrupt his workout?_ She looks up and sees him grin at her, "Did you forget what to say?" he laughs. She rolls her eyes as she walks in. Juliet begins to turn her pendant in her hand as the thoughts in her mind raced. "Juliet, look at me. What's wrong?" She runs her fingers through her hair and tries to figure out what to say first.

"Well, this morning, I received a letter from Elissa. I was on my way here to show it to you, but I overheard a noble couple gossiping."

Cullen raises a brow, "And?" he asked, and Juliet bit her lip. His eyes widened by the way she was reacting to the gossip. "Are you sure it was about us?" he asked. 

"Yes, I heard the woman say Leaders of the Inquisition. Cullen, you know it won't be long until our inner circle knows?" she asks. 

Cullen places his hands on his face and lets out one single muffled word, "Damn!" Juliet's eyes widened from hearing him cuss aloud. Now she thought he was regretting their kiss they shared yesterday. She starts to make her way to the door until Cullen stops her. "Jules, I know what you're thinking. I don't regret the kiss. I want to keep our relationship private because everyone is watching us. I like to be a private person and keep my personal affairs to myself," he places a hand under her chin, "I want to keep you safe, Juliet. If our enemies got word of our relationship, they could use it to their advantage, and I don't want them hurting you. I fear that every time you leave from my sight that you won't come back to me." Juliet snaps her fingers. Cullen is unsure why she snapped her fingers until he hears all the doors to his office lock. 

She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him, "You are such a romantic." Juliet forgets that Cullen is shirtless, and she could feel his pulse racing. "Did I interrupt your workout?" she asks as her eyes skim down his bare chest. She slowly moves one of her hands down his chest and watches him tense up to her touch.

He grits his teeth, "Yes. Do you know what your touch does to me?" Juliet giggles, "Jules, promise me you will be careful out there?" She nods, and he remembers the letter she was going to show him. "Now, onto the letter. What did Elissa say?" he asks. Juliet removes herself from Cullen's embrace and opens the pocket where the letter was. She hands it to him, and he begins to read the note. As he is reading, Cullen becomes puzzled by a few things Elissa mentioned. He rereads it before looking up to meet Juliet's gaze. "What does Liss mean by a family secret?"

She shrugs, "I don't know. The secret could be how I am a mage, possibly?" She rests her back against the wall and starts to turn her necklace, unaware the sapphires began to glow. She starts humming a tune as she begins to get lost in her thoughts. Cullen smiles as he listens to her humming. He wanted to ask her what the melody was, but his attention focused on something else. As Juliet twists her pendant, he could see she was unaware the sapphires were glowing.

"Jules? Your necklace is glowing," he informs. Juliet cocks her head and continues to hum but stops when she looks at her pendant. Cullen remembers the spell she told him back in Haven; if the sapphires started to glow, it meant Elissa was close by, but how far? Juliet starts to pace in the office, trying to see if she could sense Elissa, but she couldn't. Cullen watches her walk back and forth, and he could see she was trying to use magic, but what kind? "Juliet, what are you doing?" he asks.

"I'm trying to see if I can read Elissa's mind," she answers. She stops moving when she realizes that she didn't tell Cullen she was a telepath. Juliet turns around to see Cullen looking at her with his arms crossed, and he raises a brow. "I forgot to mention that I can read minds. I have been able to do it since I was eight."

"Oh, so you're a mind reader?" he asks, and she nods. "Have you been able to read everyone's minds since you have been here?" she shakes her head. "Can you explain your ability to me?" he chuckles, and she nods again.

"Of course. Cole and I are almost the same. I can read someone's mind and can have a conversation with them, but Cole can't. He reads what a person is feeling and says it aloud. I'm a telepath, and he is an empath. Do you understand?"

"More or less, but this is another reason why you are so remarkable. I do have a favor to ask if you don't mind?"

"Which is, Commander?" she teased.

"I declare a rematch from our last chess match." Cullen laughs and waits for Juliet's response. She nods, and they play chess again.

In the Owlery of Skyhold's library, Leliana is praying at the altar as a scout delivers packages for her. She thanks the scout and begins to go through the mail on her desk. As she gets to the last piece of mail, she recognizes the penmanship and sees it's from an old friend, Elissa. She turns the letter over, ready to open it before she does, the writing catches her eye. It says: _Read this first._ Leliana opens the letter and begins to read it.

_Nightingale,_

_I am writing this letter to inform you of my progress in finding the cure for the Calling. I have found it, but you won't believe how. Flemeth is alive, and I don't know how it's possible. She kept that a secret, but she did give me the cure, and she informed me of a family secret. It involves Nix and me, and before I can continue, I must ask you to keep this letter to yourself. She must not know until I reach Skyhold, and I know you are the Master of Secrets. If you don't believe what you have read, the parcel attached to this letter has the family tree. It will show you who Nix is, and I must ask of another favor, to keep the family tree safe._ _I will need it for when I arrive, to show her who she is. Nightingale, Nix is my twin sister, and that's the secret._

 _This letter is to inform you of what you will need to do when I arrive. First, I will try to enter the fortress undetected if I can. Second, if you could try to hold a "meeting" where Nix needs to be there, that is where I will reveal the truth to her. Lastly, if anyone can convince my King and Fergus to come to Skyhold about me, it's you. Nightingale, please keep my sister safe. I know she can be stubborn at times and tries to pretend she's fine, but she has been through so much. I_ _t's not hard to notice how much she is hurting inside. I'm almost there, give me more time. I will see you soon._

_Dove_

Leliana opens the parcel after reading the letter, and she sees the Cousland Family Tree. She goes through the line until her eyes fall to the bottom of the page. She looks where Bryce and Eleanor's names are and see Fergus, Juliet, and Elissa's name are underneath. Leliana could see the ink on the parchment was made of magic and not by someone else's hand. She rolls the parchment, closes the letter, and places them both in the trunk she used for her possessions. Leliana begins her journey to the War Room and prepares for the meeting. _Elissa, please don't be far. I know there are a few people that miss you._ Leliana thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! My computer is running smoothly again for the moment. I hope you are enjoying my story, and I hope you have a great day today!
> 
> P.S. I decided to update and edit this chapter.


	20. What's Happening in Crestwood?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet meets with Hawke and the advisors and learns about what is happening in Crestwood. Hawke goes ahead to the location where his Warden friend is and warns Juliet to be careful when she arrives since the giant rift appeared across the lake the town has been plagued with the walking corpses. She decides before her team leaves that she needs to fix what happened between Varric and Cassandra. Before the day is over Cullen expresses his worry for Juliet's safety to Varric. Varric promises him that he will make sure Juliet stays safe.

When Leliana arrives at the War Room, she begins to prepare for the meeting. As she begins organizing the paperwork, she doesn't notice Josephine and Hawke entering. "Good morning, Leliana." Josephine's chipper voice echoes throughout the chamber. She nods to them as she continues organizing. Leliana tries to keep herself busy after she received the letter from Elissa. Her letter replayed in her mind as she continued to arrange the papers. The details of Juliet and Elissa being twins left her in a state of shock, and she wondered if the twins' brother, Fergus, knew of this. She looks at the wooden table one last time, seeing if she missed anything. Josephine and Hawke look at each other as they notice that Leliana hasn't looked up from the desk. "Leliana, are you alright?" Josephine asks, and Leliana nods. "Where are Juliet and Cullen?"

"Here, we are!" Juliet answers as she tries to hide her laughter, "Sorry, we're late. Cullen wanted a rematch from yesterday when we played chess."

"Who won?" Hawke asked.

Juliet looks at Cullen with a grin on her face. She waits for him to answer Hawke's question. As she waits, she hears the girls snickering, "I did, again." she grins. Josephine and Leliana burst into laughter. "The Commander thinks I cheated this time, but I didn't."

Cullen rolls his eyes, "You had luck the first time, Jules, but it’s impossible to win twice in a row." he defended. The girls' laughter echoes in the War Room and Hawke tries to stifle a laugh. "Garrett, do you see what I have to deal with?" he asks. Hawke looks to the girls, and sees their grins, then looks back to Cullen. "You're taking their side, aren't you?" Hawke joins in the laughter with the girls. He shakes his head and looks at Juliet. He points at the table as he was ready for the meeting to start.

Juliet clears her throat, "Alright. Hawke, you informed Cullen of the activity that was in Crestwood. What have you found out from your friend?" She walked over to her spot at the War Table, and the others followed.

Hawke joins at her side and hands the parchment of information from his friend, "Stroud informed me that when he arrived, the undead had emerged from where Old Crestwood was. The mayor, Gregory Dedrick, believes the rift that appeared on the lake is causing the corpses to attack the villagers. There is a fort located nearby the village that bandits are occupying. You could use it for the Inquisition, Nix. Stroud said he spotted a dragon flying close by where he was hiding." 

Juliet bites her lip as she reads the information Stroud wrote Hawke. Trying to find Stroud with a dragon nearby, a giant rift appearing on a lake, corpses are attacking, and a fort that the Inquisition could use. She runs her fingers through her hair, trying to find out what needs her attention first, but isn't sure what to do. "Shit." The advisors and Hawke looked at her and could see she was getting frustrated. She looks up to see their concerned expressions and realizes she didn't curse in her head as she thought. "Sorry. What would be the best plan for when I arrive?" she asks. 

Everyone begins to think about what Juliet should do when she arrives at Crestwood. Leliana gets an idea, and she hopes it would work, "Hawke could make the journey to Crestwood ahead of you, Jules," Juliet and Hawke look at each other, and both raise a brow to her. "Juliet, you will have time to help the villagers while Hawke is with Stroud. Does that work for both of you?" she asks, and they both nod. "Alright, I suggest Hawke that you should head out now, and Jules will meet you there in a few days."

Hawke nods and turns to Juliet, "Alright, Nix, I will see you then. Make sure Varric doesn't start any more fights while I'm gone." they laugh as he leaves the War Room.

The advisors and Juliet finish the last bit of the meeting and head their separate ways. She decides that Dorian, Cassandra, and Varric will join her in Crestwood. She knew Dorian would join her immediately to hear about what happened with Cullen, Varric would come along for Hawke, but Cassandra would need convincing. Juliet heads to find Cassandra to convince her to join them in Crestwood. When she finds her, she notices that she wasn't practicing but was reading a book instead. Juliet uses this as an opportunity to spook her for once. She quietly walks up behind Cassandra and bends over while she is distracted, "Good book?"

Cassandra screams and falls off the stool, and Juliet begins to laugh. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes, because I suddenly went blind." Juliet cocks her head at Cassandra.

"It's a book. It's... one of Varric's tales. _Swords & Shields. _The latest chapter." Cassandra explains.

"So, you've read them all?"

"Not... since this all began. We've been busy."

Dorian walks by the duo and chimes in, "That's just her favorite." Cassandra turns around and narrows her eyes at him.

"Nobody asked _you,_ Tevinter." Juliet laughs at Cassandra and Dorian as they reminded her of Elissa and Fergus whenever they would argue. Dorian laughs as he walks away. Cassandra rolls her eyes and turns back to Juliet, "It's literature! Smutty literature. Whatever you do, don't tell Varric. Please, Nix!" she pleads. "They're terrible and _magnificent._ This one ends in a cliffhanger. I know Varric's working on the next he must be. Nix, you could ask him to finish it," Juliet raises a brow to her and starts to accept the offer until Cassandra stops her, "Pretend you don't know this about me." she grumbles as she walks away.

Juliet runs to find Varric as this could be the way to convince them both to come with her to Crestwood. When she enters the main hall, she finds him at his usual spot by the fireplace. "Varric, just the person I needed to see. I need a favor. I need you to write the next chapter of your romance series."

Varric looks at her, "Can I ask why?" he asks as he drinks from his cup.

"It's for Cassandra," she answers, and Varric spits out his drink.

"You mean to tell me that Cassandra is a fan of _Swords & Shields_? The same Cassandra that tried to throw me across a table yesterday?" he asks, and Juliet nods. Varric thinks about what he should do next and grins.  "Okay, I'll write it, but on one condition. I get to be there when you give it to her. Deal?" 

"You've got a deal." Juliet agrees and walks off. Varric nods as he begins to work on the next chapter. Juliet heads up to her quarters as she waits for Varric to finish the book. When she enters her room, she walks over to her bed and lays down. As she lays her head on her pillow, she could feel the exhaustion in her body, and sleep takes over.  Juliet awakens from her deep sleep by the sound of a knock. She stretches as she walks down the steps to answer the door and sees Varric holding the finished book in his hand.

They walk outside of the castle to find Cassandra hitting the training dummy. Cassandra unaware the duo was behind her until she hears Juliet clear her throat. She turns around to see Juliet along with Varric behind her. "What did you two do?" Juliet nudges Varric to offer the book to Cassandra. He looks at her and holds it in the air. "Jules, I told you not to say anything. Especially to _him._ "  Juliet stifles a laugh and raises a brow to Varric to explain what happened.

"Seeker, I can see you are still sore from our little spat from yesterday. Nix told me you are a fan of _Swords & Shields, _so I have the next copy right here." Varric offers the book to Cassandra, but she doesn't take it. "Oh, well, if you're not interested, then you're not interested. It still needs editing anyhow," he mutters as he begins to walk away. Juliet looks at Varric, then back to Cassandra, wondering if she should say something.  He winks at her, and she raises a brow to him, confused by what he was planning. She was about to speak until a shout stopped her.

"WAIT!"

Juliet turns around and sees the shout came from Cassandra. Varric stops walking and grins. Now she knew why Varric winked at her because he knew Cassandra would want the book.  Varric turns around to face Cassandra, "You're probably wondering what happens to the Knight-Captain after the last chapter?" he asks, smiling.

"Nothing should happen to her. She was falsely accused!"

"Well, it turns out the guardsman-" Varric begins to spoil before Cassandra walks over and takes the book from him.

"Don't  _ tell _ me!" Cassandra begins to walk away, and Varric clears his throat.

"This is the part where you thank Nix since it was her idea, after all. I don't give sneak peeks to my readers, but for the both of you, I made an exception," he explained. Cassandra nods and bows her head to Juliet. "She wanted us to make peace before she asked if we would join her and Sparkler in Crestwood. So will you go with us?" he asked.

"Of course. Thank you, Nix, and thank you, Varric." Juliet and Cassandra hug.

Varric begins to walk away as the girls hug, "Completely worth it," he whispers. He walks back into the castle and sees Cullen waiting for him by the fireplace. "Curly?" Cullen looks over at him, and Varric could see Cullen wasn't alright. "You want to head to your office or somewhere else?" Cullen nodded, and they left the main hall. As they walked along the battlements, Varric waited for Cullen to speak, but he noticed the Commander was silent. "Cullen, what's wrong?"

Cullen stops and lays against the terrace and sighs, "I went to see if Juliet was in her quarters, but Dorian told me that she was with you and Cass. I'm worried about her and the problems that are happening in Crestwood.  Varric, I can't lose her. I almost lost her once, and I can't experience that again." He puts his hands in his face, and Varric joins him by his side.

Varric pats him on the back, "Cullen, you have my word along with Dorian's, Cassandra's, and Hawke's that we will keep her safe and make sure she comes home to you.  If she does anything that would risk her safety, then I will let Seeker handle her. I promise you that all of us will come back after we finish the dealings in Crestwood."

Cullen chuckles, "You know Cass scares everyone. Thank you, Varric. Hawke had left after we concluded the meeting, and Juliet's team will leave in two days. So let's head back to the castle and get rest before you all depart."  They begin to walk away, and Cullen looks over to the stairs to the main hall. He sees his beautiful bird walking inside the fortress. He could breathe better that she was still here before she left his sight.


	21. Denerim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alistair handles ruling Ferelden without his Queen by his side, luckily her brother has stepped in on being his Advisor until she returns. His thoughts trace back to the moment they met. He then thinks back to when he went to Redcliffe and he met the Herald of Andraste. Alistair thought he was looking at his wife, but it wasn't her which caused him disappointment. He hoped Leliana had heard from her. He confines to Fergus of his thoughts and learns the truth of why Juliet could have been mistaken for Elissa. Moments later a crow with hazel eyes delivers a letter. Is it good news or bad news?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I am back to writing as I had major writer's block, and we had to say goodbye to one of our family pets. Sending good vibes and love!

The days where Alistair wished he was still a Grey Warden and not the King of Ferelden occurred in his mind. He missed those days traveling with the woman he loved, annoying Morrigan, and getting romantic tips from Leliana, Zeveran, and Wynne. As he shuffled the papers on his desk, the day of the Landsmeet replayed in his mind, when Elissa declared she would rule beside him after the Blight ended. Elissa, the daughter of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland, had managed to turn the entire Landsmeet around in their favor. Alistair still wondered how she was able to do it. He remembers how she's like her father, persuasive and dedicated. Her brother, Fergus, explained to him if Bryce was alive how proud he would be of his children. Fergus took over as his royal advisor when Eamon died, and when Tegan faced problems in Redcliffe. Redcliffe was rebuilding from the war between Mages and Templars. The village was now back under Tegan's control since the Inquisition's help. Alistair thought he had seen Elissa when he went to Redcliffe, but it wasn't her. It was Juliet Trevelyan, the Herald of Andraste, now the Inquisitor. Her appearance is why Alistair mistook her for Elissa because of her eyes. Her icy blue eyes were the same as Elissa's, but he remembered his wife having snowy blonde hair, not fiery burgundy color. He was still lost in his thoughts until he heard Fergus enter the room. Fergus bows to his back as Alistair was facing the other way, "Your Majesty."

"Fergus, please, you're my brother-in-law. You don't need to bow nor call me _Your Majesty,_ " he confessed as he turned around before sitting against the desk, "Have you heard anything yet?" He hoped he would have received a note from Leliana, as she was the closest one to Elissa. If anyone would know how to find Elissa the fastest, it was Leliana. Fergus shakes his head, "Damn it. I was hoping we would have news by now," he sighs as he runs his fingers through his hair and kicks the chair from his desk.

Fergus could see his sister's husband's frustration, but he knew something was bothering Alistair. "Alistair, there's something else, isn't there?" he asks, and Alistair nods. "What's wrong?" He walks over to the door to Alistair's room to give them privacy. As the door closes, he hears Alistair sigh, and walks back over to where he stood.

"Yeah, you remember when I left for Redcliffe?" Alistair asks, and Fergus nods, "When I arrived, I started to discuss with the Grand Enchanter on leaving Ferelden. My eyes gazed over to where the Herald stood. Fergus, I thought it was Elissa because of her eyes and how the Herald looked like her, but I was wrong." 

"Alistair, what did you say her name was again?" Fergus asks. When Alistair began to describe how the Herald and Elissa looked alike and with the same icy blue eyes, Fergus thought it couldn't believe it. He hoped it was her, but would Alistair know who she was? After twenty years, would the children of Bryce and Eleanor Cousland be reunited, or would fate tear them apart again?

"Juliet, Juliet Trevelyan. Why?" Alistair answered. Fergus takes a step back when he hears her name. Alistair was unsure why Juliet's name put Fergus in a state of shock. "You know her, don't you?" Fergus doesn't answer as he continues to look at the fireplace. "Fergus?"

Fergus lets out a slight chuckle, "Yeah, I know her. Before I reveal how I must ask, did Juliet tell you who she was?" he asks, and Alistair shakes his head. "Well, Alistair, when you met the Herald in Redcliffe, you met your sister-in-law." Alistair's eyes widen, and Fergus proceeds, "Juliet is my little sister, and she's Elissa's twin."

Juliet was alive, and she was in Ferelden. He thinks back to the day he found that Elissa and Juliet were twins. The same day Juliet left for the Circle of Ostwick. He was in his Uncle’s study when he overheard his parents and Aunt Lilian's conversation. He hears Juliet’s and Elissa’s names and decides to follow the group. They stop in front of the West Wing of the Trevelyan Manor to continue discussing the girls. He hid behind a pillar and heard Juliet was Elissa’s twin sister. His parents knew he followed them. When he heard his father call him, he was afraid to come out of his spot. Fergus walked to where they were, and they revealed that Juliet was indeed his sister. They explained to Fergus if they couldn’t tell the twins, then it was up to him. He was unsure how he would tell the girls, but his father wrote letters for each of them. Fergus had found them when he returned to Highever after the war was over. 

"How is that possible?" Alistair asked "Juliet is a mage." He thought he was the only one with family secrets. Many questions ran through his mind, did Elissa know that Juliet was her twin? If she did, is that why she kept her a secret? "Do they know that they are twins?" he asked, and Fergus shook his head. The news of Elissa being a twin surprised him. He met his sister-in-law, who is a mage, and is responsible for saving all of Thedas. "How long have you known Fergus?" he asks as he turns to face his wife's brother, he hears him sigh. Fergus reaches inside his pocket, and hands a letter to Alistair. The letter was addressed to Fergus by their father, Bryce. Alistair looks at him, and Fergus begins to explain.

"I've known for twenty years. I found out on the day when Juliet went to the Circle. I overheard our parents, and our Aunt Lily talking about it on when they would reveal the truth to the twins. When they found out I was listening, they made me promise not to say anything. My parents decided that if they couldn't tell them, then it would be up to me. They wanted to tell the girls on their eighteenth birthdays, but that day Juliet’s magic was revealed. My father decided to write letters to each of us that explains the full story of the separation of Juliet and Elissa," Fergus explains as Alistair reads the letter.

_Fergus,_

_I am writing three letters, one for you and the other two are for your sisters. The twins' letters will have details about why they were separated, but Juliet's will be the most detailed. I don't want her to think we didn't want her, but we did. We loved each of you, and when we had decided to let your Aunt take her, it almost killed us. The reason why Juliet had to go to Ostwick was to protect her._

_When you were younger, there was an attempt on my life. When the assassin failed he left a warning. They would come back for Juliet, because of her magic. In a gifted child, the magic starts to appear around the age of eight, but from the moment Juliet was born, it was different. After her birth, she was stillborn until a glowing light pulsated around her body and resurrected her. We thought it was a blessing from the Maker, but it was her magic. After that day, she became known as "Nix" by us, as she was our little phoenix. When the twins were three months old, the rare winter arrived in Highever. Elissa and you became ill, but Juliet was fine. I took her with me to my study, while your mother took care of both of you. We watched the snowfall, and I heard her laughter from watching the snowflakes fall. What I didn’t notice was her laughter created a white rose on my desk. As I was amazed by Juliet's gift, the assassin made his way into my study._ _When I noticed the man, I pleaded with him to let me live, but he refused. As he began to lunge at me, Juliet created a shield that protected us. The shield knocked the assassin back, and he ran out the window. He shouted that they would come for her. When I told your mother, that's when we decided to let Lilian take Juliet, and raise her until the twins turned eighteen._

_The day when Juliet was taken away was another day that was hard for your mother and me. When I turned to see you and Elissa holding each other, and hearing both of you crying, as we watched her leave was harder. I had hoped it was a nightmare. As time has passed I have heard rumors of another attempt to be placed on my life as well as my entire family. Son, if it comes to where your mother and I can't tell your sisters the truth, please be the one to tell them. Hand them these letters, and give them time to process. Juliet might need a longer, so that's what you and Elissa need to do. Be patient with her and give her time. When she is ready to talk, the two of you will need to listen to her. I love you son, and I am proud to watch you grow into a great man. Oriana and Oren are lucky to have you, and I know Elissa will take care of them while we are away._

_Your Father_

After Alistair finishes reading the letter, he meets Fergus's gaze. Neither one of them spoke, but they both knew what the other was thinking. "Well, that wasn't what I was expecting," Alistair chuckles, "It's quite amazing how Juliet is really gifted, but that raises more questions than answers. How is it possible that Juliet is a mage, but Elissa isn’t?” he asks, and Fergus shrugs. “I see. There must be a book or family tree that could explain Juliet’s ability. From my days' training as a Templar, I remember reading a book about magical history. It’s rare in a set of twins that only one would have magic but it’s even rarer for a mage to be born into a non-gifted family,” Alistair explains.

They began to look for the book, but it was nowhere in sight. As they continued to search for the book, a tap on the window nearby caught their attention. Alistair turns around to see a crow on the railing of the balcony, then sees a letter attached to its leg. As he reaches for the letter, the crow tries to bite his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you. May I have the letter please?" he asks. The crow bows its head then extends its leg for Alistair to get the letter. When he reaches for the parcel once more, the crow tries to bite him again. "Okay, now you're just being mean." he narrows his eyes at the blackbird with hazel eyes.

Fergus snickers at his brother-in-law's foolish attempt at how he's trying to retrieve the letter. "Alistair, do you think the bird doesn't like you?" he chuckles. He watches Alistair try once more, but the bird tries to bite him again. Alistair groans in annoyance and walks away from the bird. Fergus walks over and the crow places the parcel in its beak on to his hand. Alistair's jaws dropped by how the bird didn't try to take a bite of Fergus. The crow squawks and flies off when Fergus closes the window. "This is for you." Fergus hands the letter to Alistair, and waits for him to read the letter.

From afar a hooded figure sits atop a roof and watches the duo read the letter. The cloaked figure's hazel eyes focus on the King and laugh. "Elissa, he's still a toadstool." the hazel-eyed woman shook her head and transformed back into her bird form, and flew off.


	22. Crestwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet and her team head to Crestwood. When they arrive they see Wardens searching for Stroud and the undead that is plauging the village. Juliet meets the Mayor and informs her more on the undead and the bandit tower nearby. They handle the bandit tower first then heads to find Hawke to meet with Stroud. They decided that Hawke and Stroud must head to Skyhold, while Juliet and her team handle the last few problems in Crestwood. When the team arrives back to Skyhold, Juliet faints upon arriving, having everyone on edge.

When arriving outside of Crestwood's village, Juliet and her team notice that rain will cause problems on the terrain. As they get closer to the entrance, they hear a woman scream over the thunder above the group's heads. Juliet jumps off Chestnut and runs ahead to help the poor woman. As she gets close to finding the source of the screams, she sees two walking corpses charging at her. She snaps her fingers as two fire runes appear under the undead, and set them aflame. Cassandra, Dorian, and Varric join her, and they continue to find the source of the scream. Luckily, the woman was safe and with two Grey Wardens. "Are you alright?" one of them asked, and the girl nodded. "It isn't safe for you to be out here. You need to head back to the village." The girl bows her head again then runs to her house. Juliet and her team approach the two Wardens, and they turn their attention to the small group, "Can we help you?" the Senior Warden asked.

Juliet hears Varric's thoughts enter her mind. _Don't say anything about Stroud or Hawke. They're looking for them._ She nods, "Yes, may I ask why two Wardens are out here? Where are the rest of you?" The duo looks at each other before answering her question. Her telepathic ability gave her the advantage of hearing their thoughts. Juliet learns they are looking for Stroud for committing treason against the Wardens, and he must answer to the Senior Warden-Commander, Clarel. She crosses her arms, and waits for them to respond to her question.

"We are looking for a fellow Warden, as he committed to treason, and he must answer to them. Have you seen a Warden amongst your travels?" the Senior Warden asked. The team shakes their heads no, "I see. Well, we must be off Garrison, and report to Clarel." The Wardens bow to Juliet and head outside the gates of Crestwood. Juliet rubs her head and walks towards the village. As they are walking upon the gates, they see more undead trying to attack the villagers. They run to help the villagers, luckily, no one was harmed during the assault. The captain informed them Mayor Gregory has more information on the attacks. As they walked through the village towards the Mayor's house, Juliet could feel eyes watching her.

The villagers would stop talking or the activity they were doing, and watch Juliet walk by. Some would bow to her, and some would look in awe. After a month since the Inquisition began, she was still trying to get used to people bowing at her, or even calling her Lady Inquisitor. They made it to the Mayor's house. Juliet knocks, and waits for its master to open the door.

"Oh! Inquisition please come in," The mayor insists, as Juliet and her team enter the house. They shake off the rain droplets before sitting down on the furniture. Dorian and Varric sit in front of the fire as Cassandra and Juliet stand beside the furnace. "Mayor Gregory Dedrick," Dedrick offers his hand out to Juliet.

"Juliet Trevelyan, and this is Cassandra Pentaghast, Dorian Pavus, and Varric Tethras," Juliet introduces, as she shakes the mayor's hand.

Dedrick offers tea and biscuits to the group as he begins to explain the issues that they are facing, "I would like to thank you for helping my townspeople with the undead. As you can see, there is a giant rift across the lake, which is causing them to appear. Unfortunately, you won't be able to reach it; it's below the lake. There are controls you can access to open the flood gates to the dam, but for you to reach them is through the tower." Dedrick explains. Juliet thinks of what she should do, after a few minutes she decides the next step. "Inquisitor, I must ask for your help. Will you please help us?" he asks. Juliet nods, and they leave the Mayor's house.

Once outside of the village, Juliet stops walking, and turns around. "I wanted to wait until we were out of earshot with the Mayor. Before we do anything about the rift, we need to find Hawke and Stroud, and warn them about the Wardens. We will tell them after we handle the tower, and work from there," she explains. The trio looked at her and agreed with their leader's plan. When everyone agrees, they head out to look for where Hawke marked on Juliet's map. As the group clears out the tower then claims it for the Inquisition, they go to find Hawke.

They see him standing outside of a cave entrance, "There you guys are. Is everything alright?" Hawke asked.

"No, we saw two Grey Wardens when we arrived. They were looking for both of you, and asked us if we had seen Stroud. We lied to them, but they said he betrayed the Wardens. Hawke, after we meet with him, I think it would best that the both of you head to Skyhold, before they come back here," Juliet explained. Hawke nods and offers Juliet to lead them into the cave entrance. The group could see this cave was used as a smuggler's cache when they arrived at the door. Hawke hands Juliet the key to the door and it unlocks. She walks in and looks around to see no one waiting for her. She continues to scan the room then she hears a sword being drawn. When she turns around to see a man, in a Grey Warden uniform, who is holding out a sword at her throat. "Hawke!" she calls out.

"Stroud, that is the Inquisitor. She is here to help." Hawke pleads with the man. Stroud nods and places the sword back into its case. "She informed me before we entered the cave that there were Grey Wardens here looking for us," he informed. Hawke looks at Juliet and sees her nod, "She needs for you to help add all of it up. Please, Stroud." Stroud nods again and sighs.

"When I heard Hawke slew Corypheus, Weisshaupt was happy to put the matter to rest. For an Archdemon though, it can survive its wounds that seem fatal, and I fear Corypheus might possess the same power," Stroud begins to explain, as he walks over to the table that had a map, and a few pieces of parchment that contained notes. Juliet and Hawke join him and he hands Juliet a piece of the information. "My investigation uncovered clues but no proof," he sighs and continues, "Then, not long after, every Warden in Orlais began to hear the Calling." As Stroud proceeds, Juliet worries if Elissa or Alistair had heard the Calling. Would both of them be safe before Juliet could help the Wardens? Juliet knew she had to help them to help her family.

"I recall that being a bad thing, but I _don't_ recall you telling me about all _this!"_ Hawke growls. Juliet gave him a puzzled look until she remembered, his little brother, Carver, who was also a Warden. She thought back when Hawke explained to her that he had asked his friend, Aveline taking him away from Ferelden and Orlais when the Wardens began to disappear. Juliet places a hand on Hawke's arm, and gave him a concerned look. He looks at her, and shows a slight smile insisting he was alright.

"It was a Grey Warden matter. I am bound by an oath of secrecy. It's a possibility that if the Grey Wardens are hearing the Calling, it could be controlled by Corypheus. If all the Wardens die, we will have no one to stand against the next Blight. That is our greatest fear," Stroud explains then begins to pace. "We are the only ones who can slay Archdemons. Without us, the next Blight will consume the world. Warden-Commander Clarel spoke of a blood magic ritual to prevent future blights before we all perished. When I disagreed with her and protested this plan as madness; my own comrades turned against me." He points on his map at the Western Approach, "This is where are a few of them are gathering. It is an ancient Tevinter tower. Hawke and I will wait for you there, and we will find the answers we are looking for." Stroud finished, and begins to walk out of the cave. Hawke follows after him, and now it was time to handle the undead in Crestwood.

As the team found the controls to the dam, they find out the rift is underneath Old Crestwood. When they enter the entrance down below they discover multiple skeletal bodies and figure out they were left here when Old Crestwood flooded. Descending farther down, they find old Dwarven ruins that were still lit underneath the old village. As they continued the search, the Anchor begins to glow. The group finds the rift and prepares for the fight to close it. After three waves of demon attacks, they were victorious, as they prepare to leave Juliet tries to figure out their findings.

When they head back to the village to inform the Mayor of their success, they overhear two villagers gossiping that the Mayor fled as soon as the dam washed out. Juliet enters the Mayor's house to find a confession. Dedrick is the one who flooded Old Crestwood. He did it to protect the townspeople from the people who were infected by the Blight. "Son of a bitch!" she growls then punches the door.

Stunned by what happened, Cassandra looks at Juliet, "What happened?" Juliet hands her the confession as Cassandra reads it, she begins to feel Juliet's anger. "I will get the advisors on this matter, Jules. You have my word."

"Thanks, Cass. Let's head home, we need to discuss the next steps on the Warden matter. I would like to ask if you three would accompany me throughout this ordeal." Juliet asks as she leads them to their mounts. She turns around to see three of her friends agree, and they all mount their horses. As they get closer to the gates of Skyhold, Juliet begins to complain of not feeling well to Cassandra.

Cassandra takes notice of how she keeps rubbing her head during the trip and has an arm on her waist as she begins to sway. When they finally make it home, Cullen waits at the top of the stairs for them. He cocks his head at how Dorian and Cassandra are helping Juliet off of Chestnut. When her feet touch the ground she starts rubbing her temples again and faints. Cullen runs down the stairs and meets with Cassandra. Iron Bull is holding her tiny frame in his giant arms. Cassandra orders Bull to take Juliet to the medic, and Cullen and she will meet them there. Dorian and Varric walk with Bull and Cassandra stays behind with Cullen.

"What the hell happened?" Cullen ordered. He looks at his closest friend, who was afraid of what transpired. "Cass?"

"Before we reached the gates, Juliet began to express how she wasn't feeling well. As we got closer she continued to rub her head. She started to sway before we entered so I put my arm around her waist, and that's when Dorian and I started to help her down. Cullen, are you sure you want to head over there now?" Cassandra asks. Cullen looks at her and nods. He almost lost her once, and he wasn't going to experience that again. There was something else that was bothering him and Cassandra could tell it has him on edge. "Cullen, there's something else isn't there?" Cullen nods, so Cassandra proceeds, "Well?"

"The day when you, Juliet, and the others left for Crestwood, something happened. Leliana, Josephine, and I was discussing matters on the Winter Palace. That night, a watchguard entered my office explaining he noticed a hooded figure approaching Skyhold. Leliana and Josephine went back to their rooms while Bull, Blackwall, and I went to search for the figure. When we went to where the watchguard spotted the figure, no one was there." Cullen begins to explain as the duo walks up the stairs to the Main Hall. "We believe it could be an assassin coming for Jules. So we decided that when you've return we will have a protection detail for her safety. I offered to tell her hence why I was waiting for your arrival."

They enter the main hall and join the others around Juliet's throne. They waited there until a medic would talk with the advisors. The healer explained to the trio along with Cassandra present that Juliet's mana and her telepathic ability overexert herself. Her body was worn out from how much of her mana had drained. Leliana decided to let Cullen head upstairs to keep an eye on Juliet. While she, Cassandra, and Josephine explained to the others what they found out. 


	23. The "L" word

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen tries to reason why Juliet needs protection, while Juliet argues that she can handle herself. A special moment for Skyhold's lovebirds happens and they both express their feelings to another. Someone arrives to Skyhold late at night, ready to be reunited with the family they thought they wouldn't see again.

Nightfall came, and the argument was going nowhere. It feels like hours have passed by, with Cullen and Juliet arguing on the protection detail. He felt helpless as he could see the woman he had grown to care about had resourcefulness on not agreeing with this. Juliet started becoming agitated that he didn't believe she could handle herself. She took notice of how Cullen wasn't going to let it go until she would agree. "Jules, please. Will you agree to it for now?" he pleaded as he sat beside her. Juliet groans when she rises from the couch. She walks over to the fireplace and folds her arms. She knew he was right. "You're really stubborn, you know that, right?" he chuckles. She turns around and rolls her eyes at him, then faces back to the fireplace.

Cullen noticed she wasn't responding to his questions then realized she agreed to his idea. Cullen walked over to where she stood and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame, "So are you going to allow the protection as a precaution?" He asks, but she doesn't answer, "Please, Nix." he asked as he placed his head on her shoulder. Hearing her nickname slip through his lips made her quiver, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of his victory. "Juliet?" he cocks his head to see if he could meet her gaze, but he couldn't. Cullen sighs, then remember Juliet is ticklish. He hides his grin as he places his hands on her waist. Juliet doesn't acknowledge what her lion was doing until she felt her feet being lifted. Cullen places her on his shoulder and starts to tickle her.

"Cullen Rutherford! Put me down!" Juliet squeals in between her laughter. Cullen begins laughing after he throws her on top of her bed to continue to tickle her. "You're such an ass!" she giggles. Cullen kisses her cheek and wraps his arms around her frame. "Do you want me to say that you won?" Cullen shakes his head as he smiles at her, then their eyes meet.

He studies her face, as everything about her was beautiful. Her icy blue eyes were one of the first things he noticed about her. He never felt this way about anyone until he met her. Was it the right time for him to say it, or would it be the time this would end what they had? He decided to wait to tell her when he felt the time was right. "Cullen, you alright?" she asks as she places her head on his chest. He nods and kisses her forehead, and he hears her sigh. "Cullen, I can tell when something is bothering you. What's wrong?" she asks. He didn't want to worry her, but he didn't want to hide anything from her either. He lays his back against the headboard and begins to run his fingers through Juliet's hair.

"Jules, I'm sorry for pushing you to have a guard with you. I want you to be safe because I almost lost you once. I can't experience that again," he begins to explain. Juliet raises her head, and looks at the man, who never expresses his feelings to anyone, finally opening up on how he felt. She places her hand on his face, and she sees him melt into her touch. "To not feel your touch like this, not seeing your beautiful smile, or hearing your sweet laugh would kill me. When we found out there is a possible assassin nearby that could harm you, I decided what would be best for your safety. I can't lose you again, you're my strength, but also my weakness," he places one of his hands under her chin so he could see her face, "Juliet, I-"

"I love you," Juliet blurts out. He looks at her for a moment and could see Juliet possibly regretting what she said to him. She tries to see if she could read his face, but his facial expression didn't change. "Uhh... Forget I even said anything. I-" she tries to explain as she was removing herself from him, but he stops her. "Cullen, I-"

"Say it again," he begged. Juliet looks at him confused. "Please, Juliet. Say it again. I need to hear you say it, please." He looks at her and sees her smile, and he knew that this wasn't a nightmare. The nightmares that he has been plagued with for the past ten years. He watches her climb onto his lap and places her delicate fingers on his face. Their eyes meet, and he hears her utter the words he wanted.

"I love you, Cullen."

"I love you, Juliet," he responded with a smile. He wraps his arms around her body, and he could feel what his touch did to her. She felt his hands working their way under her tunic to the middle of her back. She melts into his touch, and suddenly feels his lips press against her neck. She lets out a small moan as she feels him press harder and begins to lean back. Cullen had found an advantage to Juliet's body, and he would cherish at any moment he had with her to use it. He was focused on how he made her moan that he didn't notice her leaning back. As Juliet leaned back, the bottom of her shirt rose to where Cullen could see her abdomen and the bottom of her breasts. Cullen felt a lump in his throat as he gazed at her beautiful body. There were scars placed around her body; Juliet feared how she would look to him, but to Cullen she was perfect. He bits his lip as he looks from her stomach, slowly at her chest, then he sees Juliet's glare. She raises a brow to him with a smirk as she could feel his arousal under her legs. "What?" he asked as he acted as if he wasn't looking at her.

"Enjoying the view?" she giggles. Cullen looks away, trying to hide his embarrassment. Juliet snickers at how red Cullen turned, and decided to have a little fun of her own. She runs her hand up to his leg, then brushes it against his arousal. He tries to hold back a small moan, but it escapes from his lips. He pulls her on top of his lap, and they begin to kiss passionately as he rips her shirt in half. Cullen tosses his shirt onto the floor and flips Juliet over on her back. She places her hands on his back and feels Cullen start kissing her neck again. She starts moaning again and scratches down his back. Cullen muffled moans as she claws his back now has her attention. He places one of his hands on her back and begins to kiss her. She feels his tongue swish back in forth with hers, but she wants more. Cullen parts his lips with hers and makes his way down her chest. His stubble tickles her as ran her fingers through his hair. As he is kissing one of her breasts he tries to take Juliet's braid out. "Do you want some help?" she giggles at Cullen's struggle with her braid. 

"No I- Damn it!" he growls as he creates a giant knot of Juliet's hair. He frowns how he messed up their first intimate moment together until he hears Juliet's laughter, "It's not funny, Jules," he looks at her and sees her flowing red curls cascading around her body, "Do I even want to know?" he chuckles.

"It's not the first time I have had to get my hair out of a knot like that, and I know it won't be the last. I do know," she reaches over the bed for Cullen's shirt. Cullen cocks his head at the sight of her ass in the air, "That I am taking your shirt." she throws his shirt on, and notices Cullen wasn't paying attention to what she did. She clears her throat, Cullen looks at her and smiles.

"My shirt looks better on you than me," he says as he climbs up and lays against the headboard again. "Do you want me to stay here with you?" he asked. Juliet didn't answer at first, as she thought it would raise more gossip, but the feeling of being in his arms gave her a sense of peace. "I can sleep on the couch or-" he began to say, but Juliet interrupted him.

"Please stay here. I feel safer when I'm with you," she answered. Cullen chuckles as Juliet cuddles up to him and lays her head on his chest. Soon he feels her breaths become slower, then she's asleep in his arms. She was here, lying beside him, and she loved him. This wasn't a nightmare, it was real. What he had with her was real, and he made a vow to her that he would keep her safe. He hoped they would have answers in the morning. For who the mysterious person was, as he didn't want the woman he loved to be in danger. He watches her sleep until he feels exhaustion take over.

He kisses the top of her head and whispers, "Goodnight, my beautiful phoenix." he falls asleep with Juliet in his arms, hoping the nightmares wouldn't disrupt him tonight.

On the other end of Skyhold, the Spymaster greets an old friend, "Took you long enough," she chuckles as she hears footsteps.

The mysterious person emerges from the shadows, "Sorry Leli. I'm here now, aren't I?" the woman's laughter sounded the same. Leliana's eyes watered up by who she sees, "Did you miss me?" the woman asks.

"Elissa." Leliana squeaked as she ran to hug her old friend, "Yes, but I know there are a few people who miss you dearly." 

Elissa laughs, "Yes, I know. Right now we need to figure out on telling Juliet the truth. She doesn't know does she?" she asked. Leliana shook her head, "Good. Let's keep it that way until in the morning."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I wanted to add a little smut scene, and I couldn't help myself. So thank you for reading my story. I hope you have a wonderful day. Sending good vibes and lots of love!!


	24. Reunited at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reunion, a family secret, and a moment for Juliet to take it all in happens too fast.

The next morning Cullen wakes up from his deep slumber. He stretches when he notices that Juliet wasn't in bed. He is unsure where she could've gone until he saw her red hair flowing outside. He goes out to the balcony to see Juliet admiring the view. He leans near the window frame as he continues to observe the woman he loved. She was wearing his shirt and taking in the beautiful landscape. "You know I can sense when you're nearby?" Juliet giggled. Caught off guard by her voice, he breaks his focus on her. He walks over to her and wraps his arms around her. "Did you sleep well?" she asks. He nods when he kisses her temple. "Cullen, are you going to speak?" she chuckles. Juliet waited for him to answer, but he didn't. Seeing the sunlight shine on her took his breath away. "Cullen?" he hears her voice and focuses on the sound of it.

He doesn't meet her gaze until he feels her hand touch his face. The feeling he has when she touches him pulsates through his body. "Jules, I'm sorry for not listening. I was taking in the view." She giggled as she kissed his cheek. She walks back into her room and begins to get dressed. She starts humming the tune that Cullen heard the other day. As he tries to listen to what it could be, he doesn't see Juliet is topless. She throws his shirt at him, which pulls him out of his headspace. Cullen covers his eyes, then faces the mountains as she laughs.

"Cullen, you're adorable. I was giving your shirt back since I have a new one right here," she giggles as she buttons the new black tunic. "There. You can turn back around now." Cullen turns around to see Juliet wearing an outfit that resembles his armor. He watches her create a braided crown in her hair and transforms her staff into a charm on her necklace. Juliet takes one last look in the mirror and sees Cullen watching her, "What?"

"You look beautiful," he answered. As Cullen gets dressed, Juliet prepares her notes. She shuffles the papers and feels him beside her. "The meeting is around noon, and I need to head back to my office. Are you going to be alright?" he asked. She doesn't respond and continues to organize her desk. "Juliet, what are you looking for?"

"Hmm? Oh! I am looking for my journal because I'm going to head to the kitchens. I need to prepare something for the meeting. My journal has a recipe I need, and it was on my desk." she answers. Cullen helps her look for the journal. "Ah-ha! Here it is! Thank you for last night. I will see you in a few. Love you!" She kisses him on the cheek and leaves. Cullen smiles when he hears her say "love you" to him. He notices she forgot her notes. He grabs the paperwork and heads to the kitchen.

While in the kitchens, Juliet starts reading the entry for her mother's and aunt's wild berry muffins. As she is distracted by finding the blueberries, she doesn't hear Cullen enter. He clears his throat, and she turns around while mixing the bowl. "Hey, you! I thought you were going to your office?" she asks.

Cullen laughs when he sees how she has flour on her face. "I did, and now I'm intrigued by what you're making. Which is?" he asks and sees Juliet's journal. He reaches for it, but Juliet smacks his hand, "Ow, what was that for?" he laughed.

Juliet glares at him, "It's a family recipe. If you must know, I am making wild berry muffins, my favorite," she blushes. Cullen smiles and sits by the counter to watch her prepare the mixture. "Whenever we would visit Highever around mine and Elissa's birthdays, we would make them. It became a tradition, and it was one of my favorite things to do. Around our eighth birthdays, Elissa, Fergus, and I wanted to make them ourselves. Luckily, they tasted perfect, and that was the last time I made them." Juliet tries to hide the tears flooding her eyes and continues to finish the mixture. She starts looking for the strawberries and rum to complete the recipe. Cullen could see how happy she was. 

"It smells delicious. Why are you making them?"

"Well, I had a feeling something great is about to happen, plus I wanted to make them as a thank you to all of you," she answered. From the moment Juliet woke up this morning, she had an inkling that there was something on the horizon. She begins to clean, and notices Cullen brought her notes, "Thank you, for bringing these to me. Hmm." Juliet pauses when she grabs her head. Cullen rises from his chair to hold her in case she fell, but she shakes her head. "I'm alright it's only a headache," she explains. She feels Cullen's lips press against her forehead. She releases from his hold and checks on the muffins. They were done and she placed them on a plate. She offers one to Cullen and watches his eyes go wide. She laughs at how he didn't waste any time to finish it.

"Jules, you have a gift for your sweet tooth. Will I get to help next time?" he chuckled. She shrugs as she smiles. She begins to grab her notes and the plate of muffins, but Cullen stops her. He grabs the papers and opens the door for her.

They head to Josephine's office before the meeting. Along the way, Juliet hands out the muffins to the inner circle but leaves three. One for Leliana, Josephine, and herself. When they arrive at Josephine's office, they see Leliana and Josephine waiting for them. They took their muffins and thanked her.

Juliet leads them to the War Room. When she opens the door, she stops. She sees a hooded person at the War Table, and she feels Cullen pull her back. He pulls his sword out and points it at the figure, "If you want her, then you will have to go through me." Juliet looks at the person then sees her pendant light up. She looks down, and the glow begins to beat like a heartbeat. ' _No, it can't be.'_

"Cullen put your sword away."

"Juliet, stay behind me," he argued.

"Cullen, please. Trust me," she begged. He nods and places his sword back on his hip. She begins to walk over to the hooded person and takes a deep breath. _Wherever we go, we will always be together. When the sapphires glow, the other will know that we are closer to each other._ Cullen hears Juliet say the spell and remembers it was meant for her and Elissa. ' _How is that possible? The only two that know the spell is Juliet and Elissa.'_ She is face-to-face with the person. She sees the pendant that matches hers and knew who it was. "Dove?"

The person laughs and removes the cloak. "Hey, Nix!" and the person is revealed to be Elissa. Juliet screams as she hugs her. They both begin sobbing as they hold each other. Cullen smiles that Elissa and Juliet were reunited. He hears Josephine tear up, he waits for Leliana to start crying, but she doesn't flinch. He realizes that Leliana knew it was Elissa approaching Skyhold the other night. "Okay, Nix, you can let me go now." Elissa laughs. Juliet laughs as she finally releases her from a long hug.

"Liss, I am happy you're here. Of course, you know Leliana and Cullen. This is Josephine, our Ambassador," she introduces everyone to Elissa. Josephine begins to bow until Elissa stops her.

"Oh no, please you don't have to bow, or call me 'Your Majesty'. Just Elissa, Liss, or Dove is fine," she laughs. "Hey, Cullen." she waves to him, and he bows his head. She looks at Leliana and sees her nod. She had the family tree within her notes. "Nix, since I'm here now, I can tell you of the family secret. Leli?" she holds out her hand, and Leliana hands her the rolled-up parchment. Before she rolls it out, she stops, "Don't be mad at Leliana. I asked her to keep this safe in case I couldn't make it here. I didn't want it to end up in the wrong hands."

The advisors go to their places and wait for the parchment to roll out. Elissa rolls it out and places heavy items on the corners. She grabs Juliet's hand and points at a family tree. Everyone sees it as the Cousland Family Tree but doesn't know what to say. Juliet looks closer at the bottom, and she sees her name with Fergus's and Elissa's. Her eyes go wide at what she sees, and doesn't know what to say. "Juliet, you're not a Trevelyan. You're a Cousland. You're my twin sister."

"That's impossible. I'm a mage. I..." Juliet feels the tears build up and her legs start to go numb. Her entire life was a lie. The past twenty-eight years have been hell for her to find out it was a lie. She falls to the ground and begins sobbing again. The memories start rushing in, and she grabs her head to try to pause them replaying in her head. Elissa kneels and holds her twin sister. Cullen signals the girls to give the twins a moment, and they leave the War Room.

As Cullen closes the door, he hears Juliet's muffled cries and feels defeated. He wanted to be there for her, but she needed her sister. Cullen couldn't believe it when he heard that Elissa and Juliet were twins until he looked at them. They were identical, but the only difference was their hair color. The advisors agreed to hold off the meeting until Juliet was ready, but they could see that they would have to wait at least a day since Juliet went into shock. On the other side of the door, Elissa continues to hold Juliet and listen to her sobs. "Dove, can we go to my room? To talk?" She asks and feels Elissa nod. They grab the family tree and head upstairs to Juliet's room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to reunite the twins later on but I changed my mind. Thank you for reading!


	25. Before the Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet and Elissa talk about the family secret. The twins decide to finish the meeting with the advisors, and they don't see eye to eye. Cullen speaks to Juliet alone about the Red Templar General and informs her that he's someone from Cullen's past. After learning about Samson, it seems Cullen and Juliet can't get enough of each other. What happens when they go to far and Juliet's triggered by her past in the heat of the moment.

Walking up the stairs to Juliet's room was total silence. Juliet wanted to wait until they were in her room to speak to Elissa. She wipes the tears away as she opens the door and snaps her fingers to light the fireplace. Elissa places her weapons next to the couch and sits down. She watches her twin sister pace and gives her time to process what happened in the War Room.

Juliet reels in the information, as she wasn't a Trevelyan, but a Cousland. She had been raised to think her older brother and twin sister were her cousins. Questions began to flood her mind; does Fergus know? Did her parents regret letting her be raised by her Aunt? Were they ever gonna tell her and Elissa about them being twins? She tried to find an answer for each one, but nothing made sense. The question that bothered her the most; how she was a mage, and neither her siblings nor parents had a magical ability? Juliet forgets that Elissa was sitting there, and she stops walking as she looks at her. She could see why Leliana and Alistair would mistake her as Elissa, as they mirrored each other except for their hair. "Dove, I need you to explain this to me again. Please?" she asked, and Elissa nodded. Elissa walks over to her desk and places the family tree down. She signals her sister to join her.

"As I said downstairs, I don't know why we needed to be separated. We had a family ancestor that was a twin and a mage. They were brothers, and around the age of eight, one of them began to show magical abilities," Elissa points at their ancestor and proceeds, "Whenever our ancestor would have children, his mage line would pass down to the next set of twins. We are the next set, and the magic passed onto you. You were given this gift, Nix. You're starting to become a powerful mage. I don't know if Fergus knows, but I know our parents would be proud of you," she smiles.

"Well, when I think my life can't get interesting enough, this happens," Juliet laughs as she walks over to her dresser. She places an outfit for Elissa and turns around to face her, "Here, you look like you would be more comfortable and warm in this. I'll run you a bath then we can go finish the meeting," Elissa tries to stop her, but Juliet shakes her head, "Dove, you look like hell. You need this trust me, and you should listen to me since I'm the oldest."

"By five minutes!" Elissa shouts and hears Juliet laugh. Juliet snaps her fingers again, and warm water fills the tub. She walks out of the powder room and points at the door, and she watches Elissa roll her eyes. "You know that you're the stubborn one, right?" she asks, and Juliet shrugs. Elissa closes the door and begins to undress. As she sits down in the tub, she feels all of her muscles relax from the heat.

Juliet walks over to her desk, and sits down to think about what is next before she leaves. The possibility of Corypheus controlling the Wardens frightens her; could Elissa and Alistair be in danger? She figures Elissa will want to accompany her and her team to handle this. She would love to have her sister with her, but she needs to keep her safe from this. How to tell her to stay behind would become a problem. Elissa finishes up and gets dressed in the outfit. The navy blue and grey attire fitted her perfectly and gave her the warmth and comfortable feeling like Juliet said it would.

Elissa walks out to her sister's room and sits on the bed as she continues to dry her hair. She looks at her sister and smiles now that they were finally reunited, but could see something else was bothering her. "Nix, you alright?" she asked, and Juliet nodded. "Hey, will you do my hair for me? Can you do it almost like yours?" she chuckles and hands Juliet the brush. Juliet brushes her hair and begins to do the braided crown hairstyle for Elissa. 

Juliet finishes fixing her sister's hair and slides off the bed, "Come on. We need to head back downstairs and finish the meeting. You ready?" she asks. Elissa takes one last look in the mirror then walks downstairs with her sister. They arrive in Josephine's office and see the advisors waiting for them. Cullen smiles when he sees her and Juliet begins to blush. Elissa notices and nudges her twin, and Juliet shushes her. Elissa's thoughts enter Juliet's mind and they begin to have a telepathic conversation on the way to the War Room. Nudging each other along the way, and the advisors watch from behind. Cullen snickers at them because he knows Elissa is teasing Juliet, but only if he could see her face right now.

_"What was that about?"_

_"I will discuss it with you later. I need to focus on the meeting."_

_"Both of you were blushing and I think it's adorable seeing you like this."_

_"Elissa, not now. I will give you the details later, alright?"_

_"Fine. Although I bet he's good in bed."_

Juliet begins to cough at Elissa's comment and hears her sister laugh. She glares at her as she continues laughing and smacks her arm. She knows since Elissa is back that she's going to join in on the teasing with Leliana and Josephine. The advisors go to their places and Elissa joins Juliet's side and the meeting begins. "Before we begin on what I found out, we need to fill Elissa in." Juliet insisted. She begins to explain to her sister what has happened so far and watches Elissa's face turn into sadness. "Now, from what I have learned from Stroud isn't good. Elissa, have you been hearing the Calling?" She asks when she looks at Elissa and sees her nod, "Shit!" Juliet slams a fist on the table and begins to pace.

"Nix, why did you ask me that?"

"Because Corypheus created a false Calling to lure the Wardens out of Orlais and Ferelden. If you have been hearing it then Alistair has been too," Juliet confesses, "I have to head to the Western Approach since a few Wardens have been spotted there. Hawke and Stroud are already there waiting for me to arrive. I can stop by in the Emerald Graves, meet with Fairbanks, then head out for the Approach the next day. Dorian, Cass, and Varric are joining me on this mission, so we will leave out in the morning. Is there-" before Juliet could finish her question, Elissa stops her.

"You honestly think I'm not going to go with you?" Elissa asks and crosses her arms. They exchange glances, and she knew Elissa wasn't going to let her do this alone.

"Elissa, don't. I'm doing what I think is best. As the Inquisitor, I would appreciate the help, but as your twin sister, stay out of it." Juliet knew she was going into a screaming match with Elissa, but if it meant for her to understand the risk of her safety, then so be it.

Elissa narrows her eyes and growls, "Why? I have been a part of the Order for ten years! It is my job as the Warden-Commander of Ferelden to handle this! So-"

"NO! You're not going and that's final! If Corypheus can create a false Calling then who knows what else he can do! I'm not going to be responsible if something bad happens to you, and I have to explain it to Alistair or Fergus. He is trying to build a demon army, but I don't know why he needs the Wardens. So if it means that the two people that are in my family, who are Wardens have to stay out of it, then do it!" Juliet yells. The advisors watched the twins argue and understood both points that they made. 

Cullen could see Juliet was holding back tears in her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay, that's enough," Cullen yells, and the twins stop arguing. "The both of you have made valid points, but Elissa, your sister is doing what she thinks is best. She's trying not to be selfish, but she is protecting you. Juliet has already been face-to-face with Corypheus, and he almost killed her."

Elissa looks at Cullen and back to her sister. She sees her sister nod, and sighs, "Leli, have you contacted Alistair or Fergus?" She asks. Leliana shakes her head, and Elissa bites her lip. "Can you write to them and tell them to come to Skyhold? Please?"

"But Elissa, you told me to wait."

"Leli, I have to agree with Dove. It would be better if Alistair was here, that way the both of them were safe," Juliet added, then remembered Elissa found the cure for the Calling. "Wait. Elissa, didn't you find the cure?"

"Nix, I need Alistair here for it to work. So while you handle the Warden issue, I can handle this."

"Alright. Well, we must be done for the day. I'll prepare the letter, and send it off by nightfall. Juliet, you can leave in the morning, and be prepared for anything." Leliana bows and heads out of the War Room with Elissa and Josephine following her out. Juliet sighs and scratches her head when she looks down at the map once more. Cullen clears his throat, and she looks up.

"Jules, I know that look. What's wrong?" 

"I didn't mean to lose my temper, but I needed Elissa to understand that we are unsure about the Wardens. Today has been a stressful day, and I don't know how much more I can take..." Juliet's voice trails off as she tries to hold back the tears. Cullen walks over to her and wraps his arms around her. When she feels the weight of his arms around her body, she lets go of the tears. He kisses her head as he hears her sobbing into his chest. Juliet was right, how much more could take from the stress and the news of her parentage. 

"Juliet will you come with me to my office. I don't want to add more stress on you, but it's important since you're heading to the Graves tomorrow." Juliet looks up and nods. He wraps his arm around her waist and they walk to the tower where his office resides. He locks the doors and hands her the paperwork he had written down for the meeting. As she looks at the notes, Cullen begins to explain, "The Red Templar General is someone from my past. His name is Samson, and he was in the Templars with me in Kirkwall. He was thrown out due to passing love letters between a mage and the mage's sweetheart. After Meredith found out, she expelled him, and it caused him to beg on the streets. Years later, he rejoined, but it was when Meredith went mad due to the red lyrium brought back from the Deep Roads. The same lyrium that was at the temple, and what you have been seeing along with the places you've traveled."

"I heard you say you knew him before Haven's destruction. He had a suit of armor of red lyrium, and that much exposure to it could kill him. To stop the templars, we are going to need to stop Samson." 

"I know. This brings me to the reason why I brought up you traveling to the Graves. I heard of smuggling caravans traveling along the trade route. The smugglers have red lyrium in the crates."

"Take out the smugglers and it stops the transportation for Samson's fix."

"Exactly. Jules, please be careful. If you get hurt I-" Cullen spoke before he is stopped with a kiss.

"Cullen, I promise I will be careful. If it gets too dangerous then we will fall back until it's safe again," she explains and kisses him again. As he desires to continue kissing her, he picks her up and sits her on his desk. Juliet wraps her legs around Cullen's body and pushes him closer to her. Cullen starts kissing down her neck and hears her moan. Juliet could feel him grin as he planted a kiss on her neck, and she could feel his cock hard. She decides to have a little fun herself, and she reaches down to his arousal. She places her fingers around it and Cullen jumps when he feels her delicate fingers. She hears Cullen growl against her throat and starts to giggle until Cullen pins her down on the desk. He looks at her with hunger in his eyes and begins to unbutton her shirt. "You better not rip this one," she whispers and sees Cullen grin.

Once her shirt is opened, he unsnaps her breast band, then begins to suck one of her breasts. Juliet is taken by surprise and starts to moan, until the memory of her rape flashes in her mind. "CULLEN! STOP!" she screams and jumps off the desk. She starts to get dressed and runs out of his office without saying a word. Cullen's unsure of what happened, but he waits until he regains his self-control. He decides to find out what set Juliet off and leaves his tower.


	26. Memories to Forget and Advice to Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two people who Juliet cares the most about chat about memories Cullen wants to forget and the advice he should take.

Cullen enters the main hall and begins to look for Juliet among the swarm of the nobles. He doesn't see her anywhere and asks Varric if he had seen her. He points at the door leading to her quarters and wonders what happened between the duo. Cullen tells him that he will explain later, but first, he must talk to Juliet. He runs up the stairs, and before he can open her bedroom door, he catches his breath.

As he gets closer to her quarters, he can hear her muffled sobs on the other side. He tries to open the door, but it's locked. "Damn it," he whispered. He prays no one comes up the staircase and sees him trying to enter her room. He takes a deep breath and knocks on the door. He doesn't hear her descend the stairs until she is on the opposite side. He could hear the sadness in her voice as she asked who was there. "It's Cullen," he answers, "Juliet, please. May I come in and apologize for whatever I did to make you so upset? Please?" he pleads. He hears her say that she wanted him to leave, but he doesn't; he stays. He wants to fix what went wrong, so he sits down in front of the door and waits. He's there until nightfall, and the sound of footsteps coming up from the stairs catches his attention. It was Elissa. She stops when she sees Cullen sitting in front of her sister's door. She clears her throat and he looks up. "Elissa, hey."

"Hey, Cullen. What's wrong? Where is Juliet?" she asks. Cullen signals that she is in the room, but the door is locked. Elissa nods as he gives her minor details of what happened. She tells him to move, and she will go talk to Juliet. He shakes his head and states he didn't want to get her involved. She glared at him and insisted she wanted to help. This is the first time she has seen her sister happy. Elissa knocks then she could hear the anger in Juliet's voice. "Nix, unlock the door. It's Dove," she answered. They wait to see if she would unlock it, then hears the lock turn. "Stay here. I will come and get you when she calms down."

Elissa walks up the stairs and sees her sister sitting in front of the fireplace. She looks closer at her and could see that she had been crying. She sits beside her, and Juliet lays her head on her shoulder, "Is Cullen still out there?" she asks, and Elissa nods. "Has he been there all day?" She nods again.

"What happened? Cullen gave me minor details, so Nix, what happened?" Elissa asks. She hears her sister sigh, "Jules?"

"Well, after the meeting, Cullen and I went to his office, to discuss a personal matter. The Red Templar General is a man from Cullen's past, as well as about what I would need to find in the Emerald Graves. It was after we talked that we got lost in the moment. We couldn't stop the desire to have the other, but when it went too fast, I panicked. I screamed and left his office. I didn't look back to see his face, and I knew that I hurt him."

"Why did you panic, Juliet?"

"A painful memory replayed in my mind and I couldn't block it out. I don't know why Cullen would want me. I'm a damaged person, with so much trauma that has happened in my life." Juliet cries. Elissa wraps her arms around her sister and tries to calm her down. Not long after, Juliet's cries become quiet. Elissa looks down to see that she fell asleep. She musters the strength to carry her to her bed. Cullen walks up the stairs and sees her struggling to place Juliet on her bed. He picks her up from her arms and lays her down on the bed. They remove her jacket, gloves, and boots then place them on her couch. He tucks her in and kisses her head before he joins Elissa on the balcony.

"Thank you for helping. She used to be lighter than that," Elissa chuckles, and Cullen smiles, "So, I talked to her, and she told me what happened." Cullen runs his gloved hand through his hair and waits for the wrath of his lover's twin. "Cullen, relax. I'm not going to kill you. You didn't know. She said it was a painful memory, so you couldn't have known-"

"Damn it." he curses as he places his face into his hands. Elissa raises a brow as she looks at him, confused. He notices Elissa doesn't know what memory Juliet was talking about. The memory of when she was raped, by three templars, at the age of fifteen. He argues with himself if he should tell her or if he should let Juliet. He sees Elissa cross her arms as she waits for him to respond to her confusion. "I do know, and now I feel like an ass. The memory she is talking about happened to her in the Circle. I don't know if I should be the one to tell you this, but I have a feeling Jules won't say anything." he explains.

He looks over to where Juliet, the woman he fell in love with, lying peacefully. Elissa smiles when he looks at her sister. She could see that he genuinely cared for her. She could see he's changed since the first time they met. He was no longer the young templar, who was tortured for days, who begged her to kill the remaining mages instead of allying with them. He had now become a caring young man and who took her sister's heart. She already approved of their relationship, but she knew Fergus would be protective of Juliet like he did with her when he met Alistair.

"My sister is really lucky to have you, Cullen. You two were made for each other," she chuckles.

Cullen smile, "No, I'm the lucky one. Liss, I do love your sister, and I don't want to hurt her. What happened today was my fault. I almost lost her again today because of my idiocy. The first time was after Haven and now today." Cullen doesn't break his gaze on Juliet and feels a comforting hand on his shoulder. He takes a deep breath and starts to explain the memory to Elissa. "Juliet was raped when she was in the Circle, by three templars. She said no matter how loud she screamed and begged, no one came to her rescue. That's why I made a vow to her and myself. I will always be there to rescue her and protect her. Today, I went against what I swore to her, and I hurt her." Cullen faces the mountain and tries to find the right words to say, "I'm not worthy of her. You, Varric, and Hawke are the people who know what I have been through. I left the Order when Meredith went mad and tried to kill Hawke. I stood against her and fought alongside him. Cass recruited me into the Inquisition after I left. I have been fighting to stay away from the taste of lyrium."

"I understand, and I can respect that. I have noticed that you and Jules are alike. You both have gone through traumatic experiences, and you don't want to be a burden. Cullen, if you have known my sister long enough, then you will see that she is stubborn. She won't walk away when the people she loves the most need her. She will take on the burdens but won't reveal what's troubling her. There are sometimes where she needs to have someone be strong for her. Cullen, she needs you."

Cullen could see he had Elissa's approval, but he feared what Fergus would think about him. He thought about their parents, would they have liked him even if he had no title outside of the Inquisition? Would his parents have loved Juliet when they met her, even if she was a mage? He sighs as those questions enter his mind. Elissa's voice disrupts his thoughts, and he looks at her, "You and Alistair have the same facial expression when you two are thinking about something. What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about what Fergus will think of me when he arrives. Outside of the Inquisition, I have no title nor land. I-" he begins to explain, but Elissa stops him.

"Cullen, what matters to Fergus and me is if you make Jules happy and if you love her. From what I have seen, you do, and you make her happy. When the four of you entered the War Room today, you jumped in front of her and was ready to defend her. When I had seen what happened at Haven, and the look of worry on your face when she decided to sacrifice herself showed how you did care for her. I know my parents would be proud of all their children, and they would've loved you and Alistair like you were their own sons." Elissa admits. She turns around to face the mountains with Cullen. She grins as she punches him in the arm but regrets it due to his metal bracers. "That punch meant to be a 'welcome to the family' but it backfired." she laughs when she pops her knuckles.

Cullen laughs as he shakes his head, "Well, thank you. Are you alright?" Elissa gives him a thumbs-up as she continues to laugh. Cullen could tell it was almost daytime, and he needed to head back to his office to get some rest. "I need to be heading back to my quarters and prepare the notes for Jules before she leaves. Thank you for helping, Liss. Goodnight."

"Stay here with her. She might be upset with herself, but I know she would love to see you when she woke up." Elissa pats Cullen on the back as she leaves. He takes her advice and removes his fur mantle and boots. He lays beside her, but before he falls asleep, he feels her cuddle closer to him. He takes in her scent of vanilla and lilies. He smiles when he wraps an arm around her and kisses her head. He could get used to this feeling of having her in his arms before drifting off to sleep. He wished she didn't have to go, but she had to save the world before they could have their happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to add a brother-in-law and sister-in-law moment with Elissa and Cullen. Don't worry I am going to add a moment with Alistair and Juliet along with Fergus and the guys.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, leaving comments, and Kudos this story!


	27. Preparations and Ideas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen and Juliet talk about yesterday as she prepares for the week long trip to the Emerald Graves and the Western Approach. She decides Elissa, Bull, Solas, and Sera will join them to the Graves and report back to Cullen when they find the useful information from the caravans, so she can head to meet with Hawke.

The next morning, Juliet wakes up to a familiar scent that she knows too well. The aroma of oak and leather and the only person she knows who it belongs to is Cullen. Her eyes flutter open to see Cullen sleeping beside her. _How long had he been lying there? Where is Elissa?_ The sunlight shines on her lion as his blonde curls turn into golden ringlets. She sees that her coat, boots, and gloves are placed neatly on her couch, along with Cullen's. She removes herself from his embrace and begins to get prepared for her trip.

She shivers when she touches the floor. As she is trying to keep warm, she lights the fireplace with a snap of her fingers, but it's not enough. She spots Cullen's fur mantle on the couch and reaches for it. She puts it on as his scent takes over her, and she soon feels the warmth that she needed. As Juliet walks through her room, she begins packing. Starting with the notes she needed, and then the wardrobe. Cullen stirs in his sleep, alarming Juliet, causing her to drop the papers. "Shit!" she whispers and picks them up to organize them once again.

Cullen's eyes slowly open when he doesn't feel Juliet beside him. He stretches and begins to look for his fur mantle that was on the couch, but it's not there. _What the hell?_ He began scanning the room for it. He hears the shuffling of papers and turns around to see Juliet organizing her desk. What caught his attention is that she is wearing his mantle. He lays back on the bed and props his head on his chin. The cloak looked bigger on her than the last time she wore it. He notices that she was in the clothes from yesterday, and her hair wasn't brushed. It didn't matter to him; she still looked beautiful. Juliet continued to shuffle the paperwork and didn't look up to see that he was awake. "Good morning," he smiles.

Startled, Juliet drops the notes again. She glares at him and bends down to get them once more. "Good morning. I hope you know that I had already dropped my notes, first when you turned in your sleep, and again when you startled me. Third time's a charm, I guess," Juliet spoke. As she organizes the papers, Cullen leaves the warmth of the bed. It smelled of vanilla and lilies.

He begins to get dressed and remembers he is missing a piece, the fur mantle. He tries to figure out how he will get it back from Juliet, and he smiles. She looks up to see him smiling at her, "What?" She sees he is in his armor, but he doesn't have his cloak. "You're not getting it back. I'm freezing," she giggles.

Cullen shakes his head, "Please, Nix?" He remembers whenever she hears him call her by her nickname and what it does to her. He waits, and he sees her stop placing the papers. There was his opportunity to get the cloak back, although he loved seeing her wear it. She sighs as she hands back his fur mantle, then sticks out her tongue.

"I need to get ready anyways," Juliet scoffs and walks over to her dresser. She places a royal blue tunic, dark brown leggings, coat, gloves, and boots on the bed. Cullen puts the notes in her bag as she gets dressed. She brushes her hair next and lets her red curls fall around her frame. They both could feel the tension in the room. Juliet turns to face him as she runs her fingers through her hair, "I want to apologize about yesterday," Cullen looks up at her and waits for her to continue, "I shouldn't have pushed you away. I was embarrassed by how I left," she apologizes. "I understand if you don't want to deal with my problems or me for that matter."

Cullen walks over to her and raises her chin so she would look at him, "Juliet, listen to me. I understand why you left. Elissa told me after you fell asleep. I should be the one apologizing to you." Juliet raises a brow, "I pushed you, I should've stopped and asked for your permission before proceeding. I should've remembered what happened to you. Instead, I didn't, and in turn, I broke the one promise I made to you." Juliet places a hand on his cheek and starts to run her thumb across his cheekbone. "You're the one that doesn't deserve me. You are a remarkable woman, and I am nothing but a broken man with enough demons to take away your light. I don't want to take that away from you, but I need it because I feel whole when I'm with you. _I love you, Juliet_."

"I love you, Cullen." Juliet wraps her arms around his neck, and they share a kiss. "Thank you, for everything. I had an idea that I want to run by you." Cullen nods and leans against her desk, "Since I am heading to the Emerald Graves first to handle the matter about Samson, I was thinking of letting Elissa join me," Cullen raises a brow, "When we find any information, Elissa will take it while I head to the Western Approach. When she returns to Skyhold, you will be able to work on the next step." 

"Who would join your sister to journey back here?"

"Bull, Sera, and Solas." She answers and waits for Cullen's opinion on the idea. He bites his lip as he stares at the ground. While Juliet waits for his response, she braids a few strands of her hair into a side braid, pins it back, then looks in the mirror to see if it was in place. Minutes passed by, Cullen still hadn't responded to her, and she started to wonder if it was a bad idea herself. "You don't agree with it, don't you?"

Cullen looks up and shakes his head, "No, it's not a bad idea, although are you sure about this? Yesterday, the two of you argued that she needed to stay here to be safe, and now you want her to go with you. Juliet, I agree with the plan, but you don't think she will want to join you?" Before she could respond, they heard a knock. Cullen goes to answer while she continues to pack. He opens it to see Elissa, waiting on the other side, "Liss, come in. We were just talking about you."

Elissa raises her brow to him and walks up the stairs, "Hey, Nix. Cullen said the two of you were talking about me?" Juliet nods as she closes the bag. "Well?"

"I have an idea, but I need you to listen before answering," Juliet begins to explain and points at the bed. Cullen returns to her desk and examines the table to make sure she didn't forget anything. "I have to stop in the Emerald Graves to handle a few things, one being to stop Corypheus' Red Templar General, before I can meet with Hawke. I would like to know if you would accompany me there, but when I finish in the Graves, I will need you to head back here. When you arrive, you will hand the contents to Cullen. I need to find out what is going on with the Wardens, and I need to do it soon."

"That's a great idea, so when are we leaving?" she chuckles as she watches Juliet and Cullen exchange glances. They shake their heads at her eagerness, but she grinned that she was going to be useful after all. "Nix?"

"In thirty minutes, so when you're packed, meet me at the stables," Juliet answers. Elissa jumps off her sister's bed and squeezes her, then leaves to pack. She turns to see Cullen smiling at her, "What?" she asks and sees him shake his head. He walks over to her and plants a kiss on her temple before he holds her in his arms. 

"Promise me that both of you will be careful. I don't want to face the wrath of your brother or Alistair." He laughed and could hear Juliet giggle. She nods, and removes herself from his embrace, then grabs her bag. She links her fingers with his when they leave her quarters and head to the stables.

In the library's attic, Leliana sits at her desk preparing two letters to be sent out. One for Fergus and one for Alistair. She writes three words, _Come to Skyhold._ She ties the notes to the two birds awaiting the release. As she walks outside to let them fly, she watches the twins and their team leaving. She prays to the Maker to keep them safe and hopes they will be here when their brother and Elissa's husband arrive. If Alistair hadn't changed in the past ten years, then she knows he won't stop until he has Elissa in his arms again.


	28. The Emerald Graves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team arrives in the Emerald Graves and begins to handle the missions that they need to accomplish. Solas takes notices of Juliet's magical ability has grown since the first time he met her. Elissa bonds with the team and heads back to Skyhold while her sister heads west.

On the journey to the Emerald Graves, there was endless chatter among the group of eight. Iron Bull would try to tease Dorian, Varric was thinking of a different nickname for Elissa, Solas looked over his notes while Sera joined Cassandra and the twins. "Ain't it weird that there's two of you?" Sera had asked them when they left. Juliet and Elissa laughed as they remembered seeing the team's faces when they had seen Juliet was a twin, and her twin was the Hero of Ferelden. Cassandra would look at Juliet first, then Elissa, and couldn't believe she was seeing double. The girls carry on their chat until they hear Dorian yell, and they turn around to investigate.

"You are _impossible!_ This is ugh!" Dorian growls, and Bull starts laughing. Elissa looks at her sister, confused, and Juliet explains to her that Iron Bull and Dorian used to not see eye-to-eye until after they spent a few weeks traveling together. Sera chimes in that she thinks it's funny how two common enemies can have an intimate relationship. Elissa looks at her sister and winks at her causing Juliet to turn red.

Juliet knows of being in a relationship with a former enemy, but Cullen wasn't a templar anymore. She wonders if they would be together if he was still a templar, but the thought quickly escapes her mind. She didn't want to think of not being with Cullen. He was her home and the one she loved. Elissa sees her lost in her thoughts and places a comforting hand on her shoulder. She meets her sister's gaze and squeezes her hand, insisting she was fine. The rest of the journey was silent for her. She began to run through the objectives they needed to do before she left to deal with the Wardens.

They arrive at the Inquisition's entrance camp, and Scout Harding signals them to join her. Each rider handed the reigns to the soldiers then followed Juliet. "Inquisitor, it's good to see you. I hope all of you have your most comfortable footwear on." Juliet nods, and she hears Dorian groan. Elissa joins her side, and Harding bows her head to her, "Warden-Commander, a pleasure to meet you. Scout Lace Harding," she holds out her hand, and Elissa shakes it, "I know you are here to meet with a man named Fairbanks, but we might have a small problem," Juliet raises a brow, and waits for Harding to continue, "There is a group of people called Freemen of the Dales, and they want to stop you." Of course, the one time Juliet thought it would be easy, but something always has to ruin the chance. "Good luck, Inquisitor." Harding bows once more and heads to a tent nearby.

"You ready to kick some ass?" Juliet asks her sister and sees her grin. She turns around to face the others, "Here's the plan. We are going to take care of any Freemen, meet with Fairbanks. Along the way, we need to look out for smuggling caravans. Bull, Cass, and Dove remember when either Dorian, Solas, or I cast an ice spell, you need to shatter them. Next, the three of you will need to keep the focus while we attack from behind. Sera and Varric, you two will need to find a high vantage point. Everyone understand?" she asks, and everyone nods. They leave the encampment and follow the road to where Fairbanks was waiting for them.

Outside the entrance of Watcher's Pass, a group of the Freemen sees the team approach. During the battle, Solas kept his eyes on Juliet, and he notices that she can control the elements of fire, earth, air, and water. It's quite rare how a mage has the talent to do that type of magic. She would create a fountain underneath an enemy, and once they were afloat, she would create a stone fist to knock them down.

After they dispatched the small group, Solas approaches Juliet, "Nix, you didn't tell me that you can control the elements?" Juliet cocks her head at him, "It's almost impossible for a mage to master. I would like to ask you when we have a chance for us to train with your new powers?" he asked and saw her nod. The team heads down to meet with Fairbanks. He greets the team and informs them of the leader of the Freemen, and a lieutenant holding a few of his people. He asked for their help and in return, he would give them information for the Inquisition. He added that a few of his people have spotted red templars nearby. He marked the locations on her map. Now, she had an easier way of finding the smugglers, and they agreed to help.

Once they left Watcher's Pass, they fought another small group of Freemen. After they finished them, they went west of where the lieutenant was last seen. They found the people of Fairbanks was unharmed, but saw that there was a shard of red lyrium nearby. Next, the team headed to the small camp area where the last of the Freemen were, including the leader, but before they could reach the destination.

A smuggler caravan was close by. Juliet thought the element of surprise would work instead of charging, "Dove, can you get a clear shot of the archer there?" Juliet whispers as she points at the archer on the cliff. Elissa nods and starts to walk a few steps away from her sister. Juliet stops her. She turns around and looks at her confused, "Wait," Juliet blows on her sister's arrow and watches it freeze, "There, your arrows are now made of ice. If I do remember, your skills with a bow are impressive. You never miss your target."

Elissa winks at her sister and heads to the spot. She takes a deep breath as she begins to draw her bow. Next, she points it at the target, as she releases the held breath, so does the arrow. The arrow flies and hits the smuggler, then the archer falls off the cliff. Varric and Sera take care of the other two smugglers. Juliet runs ahead to the small chest that contains notes, regarding Samson. "There is a quarry in Sahrina, the red templars are using. That's in Emprise du Lion, it's on the way to the Approach. We need to find more information."

The leader of the Freemen shouted at them and sent his soldiers out. Elissa pointed a poison arrow at his foe. She hit Bull's foe in the leg, which caused him to step back, and Bull was ready to deliver the killing blow. The Freemen were finished in the Graves, and now their fortress was abandoned. Cassandra suggested that Fairbanks and his people could use this now. Elissa and her team went to Watcher's Pass to inform Fairbanks. While Juliet's team continued to find the last two smuggler caravans. They found them along with two new campsites for the Inquisition and a few fade rifts.

The last caravan was in an area near a dragon's nest, Bronto mating grounds, and giants. Juliet didn't want to disrupt the brontos. She tried to coax them away from the fight. Luckily, Elissa and her group arrived in time, she sees what her twin was trying to do, but it wasn't working. She hones in her ranger ability and manages to make them move to a different location. "Show off," Juliet mumbled. Elissa snickered at her twin's insult and prepared her bow.

The giant had killed the smugglers and spotted their group, "Ah, shit! Everyone move now!" Juliet yelled as she cast a firebomb at the giant. Bull swings his ax in a circular motion to trip the creature as Elissa, Sera, and Varric shoot at him. Cassandra hits her shield to grab his attention away from Solas who was trying to heal Juliet's wounds. Dorian helps the archers defeat the giant.

After they killed the giant, they find the last piece of information. Juliet hands it to her sister, and Elissa places it in her bag. Juliet asks Elissa to let Cullen know that she will head to the quarry before the Approach. They hug, and each group goes their separate ways, Elissa's path was to Skyhold, and Juliet's was to Emprise du Lion and the Western Approach. Hopefully, they would get the answers they needed for Samson, Corypheus, and the Wardens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back again! Trying to find inspiration to continue the story and trying not to stress was hard, but now I am ready to give you guys more chapters of the twins! Sending you guys lots of love and good vibes!


	29. The Letter They Have Been Waiting For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back in Denerim, Alistair and Fergus recieve the letters from Leliana. They both knew the letters were the ones they have been waiting for two years. Alistair would be reuinted with his wife, and Fergus would see both of his sisters again. Now the journey to Skyhold could finally begin and they were ready to be there. Everyone's favorite crow returns before the duo can depart.

The sunset turned the sky above Denerim from the pale blue that reminded Alistair of his wife's and sister-in-law's eyes to the burnt orange that almost reflected Juliet's hair. Alistair relaxed on the balcony nearby and rubbed his eyes, as he was exhausted from the endless meetings, but he still waited for word from Leliana on Elissa's whereabouts.

He looks over the terrace to see the garden that Elissa began and could see the ray of colors from the different flowers. He remembered she wanted a garden after they wed, but never knew why. Until he noticed white roses near the red roses and smiled. _Of course. Elissa wanted to plant her sister's favorite flower beside hers. This was Elissa's way of keeping Juliet close to her.'_ Lost in his thoughts, he doesn't hear Fergus join him on the balcony. "Everything alright, Al?" Fergus had asked. Since learning of who Juliet was, Alistair had more stress and worry added to his plate. He wondered where Elissa could be, worried for her safety, and now Juliet's. Fergus stood by his brother-in-law's side and could see he was not alright, "Alistair, what's wrong?"

Alistair sighed, "Fergus, I don't know if I can wait much longer. I need to know where Elissa is, I need her back in my arms, and I..." his voice trails off as he rubs his eyes once more. "I have been hearing the Calling. Elissa and I haven't been Wardens for long, but I hear it almost every night. I can't sleep. We made a promise to each other when the time came that we would go together," Alistair expresses. Fergus knew the Calling was a sign when a Grey Warden's time was coming to an end. Normally, it's when a Warden has been in the faction for thirty years or more, but Elissa and Alistair have been in it for only ten. Fergus had heard rumors of the Wardens disappearing this past year but didn't know why. He bit his lip and waited for Alistair to continue, "I need a better sign than this before I do something stupid."

"Well-" before Fergus could add his input, a sound nearby caught their attention. They looked around to see where the noise was coming from until they looked up in the sky. Two ravens flew above them then landed on the railing. They thought it was a coincidence but it was until they noticed letters tied to their legs. After what happened last time with a raven, Alistair refused to retrieve them, so Fergus untied them instead. He handed Alistair's to him and before they opened them, they shared the glance. They prayed silently and hoped this was the news they were hoping for.

Upon opening the parchment, they scanned for a full letter, but they had seen three words. These three words were the ones that Alistair needed. It was the sign he prayed for every night before sleeping. ' _Come to Skyhold.'_ "She's home. They're both home and safe. Looks like we are heading to Skyhold," Fergus exclaimed. Alistair didn't pay attention to what Fergus had said, or that he left to ready the horses. He went back into his room and prepared for the journey to where his wife was waiting. He ditched his noble clothing and suited for his armor, along with his sword and shield.

Upon arriving at the stables, the two ravens rested on the post of where the horses waited for their masters. "I suppose they are going to lead us to Skyhold?" Alistair had asked Fergus, but one of the birds squawked to his question. Fergus chuckled as he mounted his horse, and before Alistair could do the same, he heard a familiar voice.

"Dear Alistair, where do you think you are going?" the voice asked him. He turns around to see Zevran, former Antivan Crow, and now his personal bodyguard, thanks to his wife's request. Fergus waves to Zevran and he repeats the same motion. "Al, you know your wife would kill me if something happened to you. You and I both know how she is. Now, I ask again. Where are you heading off to?" Alistair rolls his eyes and knows that Zevran was right, Elissa would kill him if he failed his job that she asked him to. He looks at Fergus and sees a nod. "Well?"

He sighs and turns around to face him, "If you must know, Zev," Alistair reaches in his pocket, "Here." he hands Leliana's note to him and sees Zevran's facial expression change. Zevran knew who's handing writing it was and remembered what Elissa told him when she left. _Wait for a letter to be delivered to Alistair from Leliana and to keep him safe._ Here was the letter, it was from Leliana, and he must keep his promise of keeping Alistair safe. He had fallen in love with Elissa, but he could see her heart belong to another. He still loved her even though she didn't feel the same way. He was never known for keeping promises, but keeping one for her meant he would die for her to keep it. "Zev? Are you coming?" Alistair asked, and he nodded. Zevran climbs on top of his mount and the trio departs the castle, with a few of the King's royal guards following behind them.

The journey to Skyhold would be long, but they followed the two ravens through the mountain passes, rocky terrain, and bandit attacks. Alistair had not been in combat in the past few years and could see that he would need training when they reached their destination. Luckily, he wasn't the only one that would need training, Fergus struggled during the fight as well. The ravens never left Alistair's team and waited for them to be ready to continue. Zevran shared the ranger ability that Elissa and Leliana had, and he communicated what the birds were thinking to Alistair and Fergus. Even though Alistair sometimes despised the elf, he was grateful that he helped during the journey and how he kept his word to Elissa.

They were only two weeks away, or a week at most, from their destination. Due to the incoming snowstorm, they had to wait at least a day until they saw clear skies again. "The birds say that once we pass this incline, we shall see the fortress surrounded by the mountains," Zevran informed.

"Well, while we wait for this storm to pass, we need to get some sleep," Alistair suggested and went into his tent. As he laid down on his bedroll, he could smell the scent of honey and berries, the same aroma that he first inhaled after sharing the first of many intimate nights with Elissa. Tonight would be the last night he would sleep alone because the next night, he would have her in his arms once again.


	30. Awaiting the Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the journey back to Skyhold, Elissa thinks back to her time becoming a Grey Warden and the attack on Highever castle. Elissa and Cullen discuss the next step on the plan of stopping Samson. While they patiently wait for Juliet's return, Cullen shows Elissa around Skyhold.

The journey back to Skyhold was different from the time they left. Elissa was returning to the fortress without her sister. She knew the importance of Juliet's role was. The fate of Thedas, the Wardens, and the mages were resting on her shoulders.

Elissa had undergone that type of pressure ten years ago when the Fifth Blight was on Ferelden's doorstep. She was only in the Wardens for a week, and she decided to be the leader of the Wardens. She took up the mantle recruiting the treaties, helping Alistair take the throne, and slay the Archdemon. She had become the Hero of Ferelden, the Queen, and the Commander of the Grey. She had her fair share of loss in her life, starting with the death of her parents, sister-in-law, and her young nephew.

On the attack on Highever is when Elissa had become a recruit, she had proven herself to the Grey Warden staying there, who was watching a different candidate, Ser Gilmore. Duncan, the Warden-Commander of the Ferelden Grey Wardens, saved her father's life when men attacked Highever. He agreed to get her to safety as long as he had her father's permission to let her become a Grey Warden, and her father accepted. She remembers the man who betrayed her father and caused her the pain she felt.

Rendon Howe, Arl of Amaranthine, closest friend to Bryce Cousland, Teryn of Highever, or so everyone thought. Elissa remembered whenever Juliet would come to Highever around their birthday that Howe and his family would be there. Howe wanted his son, Nathaniel, to be betrothed to Juliet, and he's only a year older than the twins. _Did Howe know that Juliet and I are sisters? Did Nate know?_ Nathaniel did have a crush on Juliet, but she didn't share the same feeling with him. When Juliet's magic was revealed, and she left for the Circle, Howe tried to persuade Bryce that his other son, Thomas, could be a suited match for Elissa. Although he's a few years younger than her, and Elissa refused. She wondered why he didn't try to pair Deliah and Fergus together until it clicked in her mind. If either of his sons married one of the twins, then they could have control of Highever, but Fergus was next in line.

Since Juliet was a mage, and Elissa refused, Howe decided to murder their family, starting with Oriana and Oren. _Howe must've known of Juliet being a Cousland. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so persistent in pairing us with his sons._ She thinks back to when she had seen Nathaniel, a year later after Fifth Blight ended. He tried to sneak into Amaranthine castle but was caught by the guards. Elissa made him a Grey Warden instead of letting him be hanged. She remembered traveling together and he had asked about Juliet. He revealed to her, one night, that he still did care about Juliet, how he wanted to see her and to see if they could have a relationship now that his father wasn't breathing down his neck. _If Nate ever shows up at Skyhold, then he will be disappointed that Juliet has already found her other half._ The memories of Highever, Fifth Blight, and Amaranthine flood her mind which kept her quiet during the trip back to Skyhold.

The watchguard announces them, and she makes her way to Cullen's office to deliver the information of Samson's smugglers. She knocks on the door and waits for Cullen to answer the door. He opens it and allows her in, "Liss, what did you two find?" She walks in and as she turns around to face him, she holds out the documents. He takes it and begins reading the information. "The main supply is in a quarry in-"

"In Emprise Du Lion. Juliet is heading that way since it's in the direction of the Western Approach." Elissa finished.

"Then we need to decide on what to do next while we wait for the results that she will find there. We need to find someone talented with lyrium runes such as the ones on his armor." 

"I know someone, do you remember Danga, the dwarven female from Orzammar?" she asks and Cullen nods. "She might know more, and we can send a few soldiers to escort her here. May I write to her and ask her to come?" she asks and he nods again. Cullen hands her a piece of parchment and quill for her to write the letter, soon she summons a bird to deliver the letter and it flies off. "Now we wait. Is there anything else you might need from me, Commander?"

"I could show you around Skyhold, and introduce you to the others? I would like to ask about the Grey Warden fighting tactics if it comes to us having to battle them?" he asked. Elissa thought about it, and she wanted to meet the other companions and inform Cullen of fighting styles the Wardens might be beneficial if a battle does occur. She agreed and they left his office. He first led her to Blackwall, she learned he was another Grey Warden, and she watched him create a griffin rocker. Next, was Madame Vivienne De Fer, a former advisor of Empress Celene, and learned very little about her. Elissa explained to Cullen that she got to know more about Bull, Solas, and Sera upon leaving and returning to Skyhold. Cullen responded to her that he didn't understand Sera, he respected Solas for saving Juliet's life and was impressed by Bull's way of leading the Chargers. Which left the last companion, Cole, a spirit. Cullen informed her before they entered the tavern that Cole is different from the others. Confused by what he meant, she continues to join him in learning about the rest of the team. When they approached him, Cole knew who Elissa was before Cullen introduced her. 

_"Soft, peaceful, protective, just like her mirror image. Is she safe? Is he safe? What did she mean that she knew of my destiny and Juliet's? Whose destinies are shared with ours?"_ Cole rambled on as he kept his focus on Elissa. She looked at Cullen and could see why Cole would be different. He reads people's minds and says their thoughts aloud. "You don't have to be scared of me. I'm Cole, and I'm a friend of Juliet's." Cole insisted and held out his hand for Elissa to shake.

Elissa smiles, "Hi Cole. I'm Elissa, and I'm Juliet's twin, but you already knew that," she shakes his hand and sees him smile. "I'm not afraid of you, don't worry."

"Thank you. Most people are afraid of my gift, or me, but not Juliet. She knows what it is like for someone to be scared of her," he explains and looks at Cullen. _"Beautiful, strong, and stubborn. I hope she doesn't think I'm afraid of her. I am afraid of losing her to my own fear. I don't want to risk her disappointment. She is my calm in the storm. My beautiful bird."_

"Cole, what have I said about reading my mind?" Cullen growled and shook his head. He knew Cole couldn't help it, but it did bother him that he could say his thoughts aloud. The thoughts of how he felt about Juliet or even his darker ones of trying to resist the lyrium taste. "I know you are trying to help, but I'm fine. I promise." Elissa raises a brow, unsure by what Cullen meant by "trying to help." Then she remembered that Cullen was struggling with the withdrawals of lyrium. He didn't want to show that he was suffering to anyone, most of all to Juliet. He looks at Elissa, "Cole, is a spirit of Compassion. He uses his gift to help whoever is in need and then makes them forget who he is. He uses the ability of mind reading differently than Juliet. While Cole is an empath, and Nix is a telepath."

"That's why I like Juliet. She understands me better than anyone here. I'm glad she let me stay to help." Cole expressed. Elissa smiles at him and had seen that Juliet hadn't changed when they were children. When they were younger, Juliet always tried to see the good in others, no matter who they were. "I must go. Someone needs my help." he apologized and disappeared.

After Cole vanished, Cullen explained that he does that as they left the tavern. As they walked back to his office, Elissa had started to inform him of the fighting tactics the Wardens use in battle. Over the next few days, Elissa and Cullen began to train the soldiers as they waited patiently for Juliet's return and the news of what to do next. For the Wardens, and Samson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I am thankful to the readers that continue to read my story and let me show my creativity of the beloved franchise that is Dragon Age! Sending good vibes your way and lots of love!
> 
> P.S. Chapter 29 and the next couple of chapters are taken place during the same time frame. Alistair and Fergus won't arrive until the day Juliet returns to Skyhold.


	31. The Truth of the Wardens Disappearing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding the truth of what happened in the quarry of Emprise Du Lion, Juliet is shaken by what she had learned. Now the team headed to the Western Approach, to meet with Hawke and Stroud. Upon arriving to the ruin, Juliet's team along with Hawke and Stroud witness a blood ritual with Warden Mages.

The journey to the Western Approach was gruesome from the blazing heat and long ride on horseback. Juliet's forehead dripped with beads of sweat as they rode towards the outer camp. The team decided to travel at a steady pace; so the horses didn't tire faster. The area they arrived at was located in the shade and near a spring. As they descended off their mounts, Juliet stomped the ground where she stood and created another spring. Next, she clapped her hands, and a small pile of apples appeared for the horses.

After taking care of the mounts, she rips the sleeves off her tunic as they walk over to Scout Harding. "Sporting a new look, aren't you, Nix?" Varric asked. She laughed as she shrugged her shoulders. Harding informed them of a possible high dragon nearby, and forward scouts have spotted Wardens near a ruin. "Oh, shit. Tiny will be jealous if we kill the dragon without him." Juliet snickers as she begins to look at the map for the right path to reach Stroud and Hawke.

After finding the trail leading to where they needed to be, Juliet thinks back to what they had learned from the quarry in Emprise Du Lion. The mine Samson used was to create red lyrium from the villagers' corpses. When Juliet and her team arrived at the entrance, they found villagers trapped in cages. The villagers pleaded and informed them that the templars were wanting to transform them into what they were.

Upon learning the truth of how Samson was able to get his fix, the amount of lyrium he ingested and his armor had intrigued and frightened Juliet. The amount of lyrium Samson has devoured should've killed him. She feared that Samson could be after Cullen when she heard one of the captains utter the words that stung her, _"You won't be able to protect him for long! The general wants him. He needs him!"_ Ever since that day, Juliet couldn't sleep as the nightmares of Cullen becoming a red templar creature haunted her.

The first time the nightmare occurred was Cullen sacrificing himself to protect Juliet from Samson's strike to prevent Juliet's death. She witnessed his change in the dream and could hear his screams from the pain, but they weren't his screams...they were hers. She woke up from the screaming and felt Cassandra's arms wrapped around her to console her. Varric held her hands and asked what happened while Dorian made her a cup of water. She explained what she had seen, and after that night, Juliet feared to close her eyes even for a minute. Seeing the image of the man she loved turned into the twisted creation they were trying to stop had scared her.

They reach the ancient Tevinter ruin's entrance and see Hawke along with Stroud waiting for them. "Glad to see you again, Inquisitor. As I suspected, there are Wardens here, but I fear they are not alone," Stroud informed. Juliet nodded to Stroud's worry; minutes later the Anchor began to light up, which meant a rift was nearby. She winced at the pain but insisted she was alright.

After having the Anchor for nearly two months, the pain is still new to her, but she can contain it better now that she has had time to accept it was a part of her. Hawke decides to stay behind to cover their backs as they approach the Wardens. When they reach the top of the steps, they see a Warden pleading to spare his life to a man who wasn't in Grey Warden's colors. Before the Warden could say more, another walks up behind him and slit his throat. _Of course, blood magic. Why am I not surprised?_ Juliet thought.

"Now bind it, just as I showed you." the man atop the alter spoke. The Warden mage did as he was told, and he had bound the rage demon to his control. The man sees Juliet and her team approaching them, "Ahh. The Inquisitor. You're more beautiful in person. I'm Lord Livius Erimond of Vyrantium, at your service." he bows to Juliet, and winks at her. The sight of him makes her skin crawl and hearing him trying to flirt with her disgusts her as well. "I see that we have the Warden that Clarel let slip. And you brought the beautiful Juliet to try and stop me. Shall we see how that goes?" Juliet's eyes go wide when she hears her name pass through his lips. He said slowly and he didn't break eye contact when he spoke.

"Well, it looks like you've already started without me." She spoke as she looked at the small pile of Warden bodies. She took notice that only Warden mages were alive but not the rogues or warriors. Corypheus only wanted the mages, as he had taken control of their minds. _The Calling has blinded them of their senses. Hopefully, Alistair will make it to Skyhold in time._

"You see, they did this to themselves. The Calling terrified them and they looked _everywhere_ for help." Erimond begins to explain.

"Even Tevinter."

"Yes, and since it was my master who created the Calling into their little minds. We in the Venatori were prepared. Even for your dear twin sister and her husband." Erimond smirked. _If the Venatori know about Elissa and Alistair then Corypheus knows as well. He will know of my weakness and he will use it. Cullen, Fergus, Alistair, Elissa, and my inner circle, are my family. I need to protect them before it's too late._ As Juliet was lost in her thoughts, Erimond continued explaining, "I went to Clarel, and together we came up with a plan. Raise a demon army, march into the Deep Roads, and kill the Old Gods before they are reborn."

Juliet narrows her eyes, "Ah, I was wondering when I would see the demon army."

Erimond was shocked that she knew of it, but still thought he had an advantage over her, "Well since you knew of it and here you stand, I would say you are too late. Sadly for the Wardens, the binding ritual I taught their mages has a side effect. They're now my master's slaves. This was a test. Once the rest of the Wardens complete the ritual, the army will conquer Thedas."

"I've seen and dealt with worse, but I suggest you let the Wardens go. Now!" Juliet ordered. 

Erimond laughs as he begins to summon the Anchor's pain and Juliet falls to the ground. "The Elder One showed me how to deal with you, in the event you were foolish enough to interfere again. That mark you bear? The Anchor that lets you pass through the veil? You stole it from my master, he's been forced to seek other ways to access the Fade."

Juliet stands up and snaps her fingers. The fade rift opened and knocked Erimond back. "You stupid bitch! Wardens! Kill them!" he yells and runs away out of the ruin. The Wardens and demons begin to attack Juliet's team. As Juliet closes the rift, the rest of the team protects her and keeps their enemies away from their fearless leader.

The rift was now closed, and the team was able to catch their breaths. "That coward fled to Adamant. It's an ancient Grey Warden fortress. That is where the others must be, but first, we need to head back to Skyhold. It would be reckless for us to go without support from the Inquisition." Stroud suggested.

"We need to discuss why they are using blood magic. I have been through my fair share of it, and blood magic isn't always the answer to every problem." Hawke argued. Juliet knew that they needed answers, but they needed to get back to Skyhold first.

"Garrett, we will find the answers we need, but we need to get back to Skyhold. Think about Carver, we need to stop Erimond before they succeed in the demon army." Juliet pleaded as she touched Hawke's shoulder. Hawke nodded at her plea and they decided to leave the ruin and Western Approach together. _Alistair, please be at Skyhold when I get there. I need to keep all of you safe._ The journey back to Skyhold was a faster ride when Juliet had the determination on what she needed to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope all of you had a fantastic Christmas! I am back to writing again after dealing with writer's block once more and a lack of confidence that I had in my writing but my best friend encouraged me to keep going. I wanted to let you know the last couple of chapters, and this one is all taking place at the same time. The next chapter is when Juliet returns to Skyhold. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Sending love and good vibes!


	32. A Haunting Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliet returns to Skyhold, but before she can give the updates from her journeys Cullen and Elissa worry about her health. They notice she looks frail.

**"INQUISITOR HAS RETURNED!"**

The first words Juliet heard as she passed through the gate. She had seen the crowd waiting for her and her team's return. Master Dennett helped her off of Chestnut, then led him and the other horses along with their groomers to the stables. Juliet waves to the people then she's stopped by one of the little girls. She kneels to the girl, and the little girl hands her a piece of parchment. As she looks at the note, she sees it was a drawing of her with an inscription. The inscription says, _"You're my hero!"_ Tears begin to build in Juliet's eyes, and she hugs the little girl, who's name is Jada. Soon the rest of the children in Skyhold hugged her to welcome her home. The nobles were surprised to see the Inquisitor hugging the children.

From afar, Cullen and Elissa watch the sweet interaction happening down below the courtyard. "You're right. She would make an excellent mother." Elissa giggled. Cullen turns his head to face her, wondering what Elissa was implying.

"What?"

"Cullen, I can see it on your face. You're thinking about her as a mother. Juliet, as a mother, isn't hard to imagine, as you can see down below." Elissa responds as she points to where Juliet was with the children. Cullen looked over to where she was and smiled. They watched her introduce them to Chestnut. The thought of her with her own child gave him a sense of warmth and comfort. The image of her possibly carrying his child after this war was over was his new dream.

The questions began to enter his mind, would Juliet want kids? Would she want them with Cullen? Would Cullen be a good father even though he struggled with his lyrium withdrawals? He decided to put all of those thoughts in the back of his mind. He would wait until the time was right to ask her those kinds of questions. As they continued to watch her, Cullen took notice of how frail Juliet looked. Dark circles were surrounding her eyes. She looked exhausted as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Liss, does Juliet look sick to you?" he asked. Elissa looked over to where her twin was, and she could see the matter of Cullen's concern. She nods, and they begin to walk over to where Juliet was. When they arrive, the young boys stand at a salute to Cullen, and the girls curtsy to Elissa. The adults chuckled at the boys salute then Cullen kneels to help fix their stance. "Your posture should look like this," Cullen shows them, and the boys follow along, "There you go. Now, may the Warden-Commander and I speak to the Inquisitor?" The children bow to the adults and run off to their parents, who waited for them at the nearby tents. Cullen smiles as he watches them disperse, and he turns around to see Juliet and Elissa smiling at him. "What?"

"That was rather adorable, my love. Wouldn't you say so, Dove?" Juliet giggled then Cullen began to blush.

"Why yes, Nix, it was adorable. Who knew the Commander had such a sweet side?" Elissa chuckled.

"I can't wait until Alistair and Fergus are here, so I don't have to deal with the lone teasing anymore," Cullen grumbled. The twins laughed again. He was happy to see Juliet's smile, but he knew something was wrong. "Anyways, Juliet, are you feeling alright?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine. I promise." Juliet lied. Elissa and Cullen look at each other and back at her. They both knew she was hiding how she was feeling. She sees two of the people she cares about the most cross their arms and waits for her to answer. "You two won't let this go, will you?" she asks. They shake their heads, and she sighs, "Fine. I haven't slept in a few days. I-"

"JULIET?!" Elissa and Cullen shout in unison.

"What?"

"Jules, you need rest. You look like you're about to pass out." Elissa insisted.

"I agree. Liss, why don't you take her to her room? Make sure she gets some rest. I will let Leliana and Josephine know to hold off on the meeting." Before Juliet could protest his suggestion, he stops her, "Jules, please. Your health is more important right now than the meeting." She looks over to her sister, and she sees her nod. She agrees, which gives Cullen a sense of relief, "Thank you. I love you."

"I love you too. Come on, Dove." The girls begin to walk up the stairs, and Cullen heads to speak with Leliana first. As they reach Juliet's quarters, she throws her bag on her bed and begins to look for clothes. Elissa watches her and begins a bath for her as Juliet digs through the dresser. While Juliet starts to undress, Elissa unpacks her sister's things.

Once Juliet steps in, she brings her knees to her chest. She lays her head on her knees and starts to process what she has learned in the past two weeks. Corypheus could know about Elissa and Alistair being Grey Wardens. Samson was after Cullen. She knew she needed to protect her family, but how? She tried to separate her feelings from her destiny. The people she loves are in danger, but what could she do to save them? Juliet stays in the position and continues to think about what she should do next.

On the other side of the room, Elissa doesn't hear any movement coming from the bath. She walks over to the door and starts to knock, "Nix, are you okay?" no answer. She tries again, "Juliet?" 

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in?" Elissa asks, and on the other side of the door, she hears a muffled 'yes'. She walks in and sits on the ledge of the tub. She sees Juliet's hair still in a bun, and no soap has been used yet. "Jules, are you sure you're okay?" Juliet doesn't respond. "Juliet. I know when something is wrong. What is it?"

"The reason why I haven't been sleeping is that I have had the same nightmare ever since I left Sahrina," Juliet begins to sob and feels her sister grab her hand, "When we freed the villagers and fought their captors, one of them spoke to me as we fought. He said...'The General wants him. You won't be able to protect him for long!' He was talking about Cullen. Samson is wanting Cullen, and they know his weakness," she starts sobbing harder, and Elissa squeezed her sister's hand, "It's me." Elissa could see her sister looked defeated. Juliet wouldn't be able to forgive herself if the nightmare she had come true. "The nightmare was Cullen becoming a Red Templar."

"Oh, Jules. Is that why you haven't been sleeping?" Elissa asks. Juliet nods and sighs. "Juliet, you may be Cullen's weakness, but you're his strength too," Juliet looks up and Elissa nods, "While you were gone, Cullen told me that he feared you wouldn't come home after dealing with the Red Templars. He wants to protect you, but he knows the world needs you too." Juliet listens to what her sister had revealed to her and thinks about it. Elissa was right, Cullen has been protective of her since Haven, and he is always there to save her. "Juliet, why don't you get cleaned up? After you get done, get some rest. I will stay here with you if you want me to." Elissa suggested and left the bathroom. Juliet takes her hair down and begins to clean herself up.

Once Juliet is done, she exits the bathroom, begins to dry her hair, and gets dressed. After she's dressed, she crawls onto her bed and falls asleep. Elissa sits at her sister's desk and begins to read the books on the shelf. While lost in the book, she would occasionally look up to see if Juliet was still sleeping, and she was. Elissa sighed at how much pressure Juliet was under right now. She knew of the feeling only it was Ferelden, but Juliet had all of Thedas. A knock disrupts her thoughts, and she was hoping it wasn't a report Juliet needed to oversee. Elissa descends the stairs, and she opens the door to see Cullen, "She's resting, don't worry." He breathes a sigh of relief as he walks up to the room with Elissa.

Cullen sees Juliet sleeping and smiles that she was finally resting. "Leliana and Josephine understood that she needed rest. Did you ever find out why she hadn't slept the past few days?" he asked. Elissa nodded but didn't say anything. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" Elissa didn't answer.

"It's not my place to say anything, Cullen. Let her tell you, but for now, let her sleep. She's been working since this began." Elissa answered. Cullen nodded and knew she was right. Juliet put saving the world over her needs, and she didn't notice that she needed to take time to relax. "She's going to be fine, Cullen. I'm staying here with her. Go ahead and meet with Danga. She arrived today and is waiting to meet with you." Cullen nods. Before he leaves, he walks over to Juliet, kisses her head then leaves.

A few hours pass and Juliet wakes up. She sees her sister reading a book, then notices a small stack beside her. "How many books did you read?" she asks as she stretches.

"A few. You have been asleep for three hours. I had to do something to keep me busy," Elissa joked. They both laugh as Juliet gets up from the bed. She walks over to the mirror and begins to brush her hair. "Cullen came up here to check on you," Elissa says as Juliet brushes her hair. She raises a brow to her and waits for her to finish, "I didn't say anything to him. I told him that you would tell him when you were ready."

"Thank you, Dove. I will talk to him later, but right now we need to head downstairs." Juliet pins the side braid back and puts on her gloves. Elissa nods and places the books back on the shelf. They both leave Juliet's quarters to prepare for the meeting as they wait for Alistair's arrival.


	33. Protecting My Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The advisors, Hawke, and the twins begin to plan the next step to dealing with the Wardens until the King of Ferelden and Teryn of Highever arrive. The Cousland children reunite, Juliet now has her completed family, but she must figure out a way to protect them. Juliet confides in Cullen and decides she is ready for him.

The twins walk into the Great Hall and begin to head to the War Room. Juliet notices Varric isn't at his usual spot, and she starts to look for him. They enter Josephine's office, and she wasn't there either. "Okay, this is weird," she says, and Elissa raises a brow, "Where the hell is everybody?" she asks. They open the door leading to the War Room, and they see Varric with Hawke. Juliet hears Varric blaming himself for what was happening and Hawke trying to console him. He nods then notices the twins. He waves goodbye to Hawke and heads out. "Hawke, it's good to see you. Is Varric alright?" Juliet asks as they approach him.

He sighs, "I don't know. Varric thinks that he's to blame for what is happening." He looks over to Elissa, "You must be Elissa?" Hawke holds out his hand.

"Yes, nice to meet you, Hawke." Elissa prepares to have a handshake, but Hawke kisses the top of her hand. "Quite the charmer, aren't you?"

Juliet rolls her eyes as she shakes her head, "Ignore him. He knows you're Alistair's wife," they all laugh, "Hawke, does Varric need to write to Isabela?" Hawke stops laughing, and Elissa looks at him.

"Wait. Isabela? As in Captain Isabela?" she asks, and Hawke nods.

The trio walks into the War Room, and the advisors are already there. They join them at the table, and Juliet places her journal down before speaking. "We don't have good news. Corypheus has-" soon the door opens, and Scout Harding walks through, "Scout Harding?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Inquisitor. I came to inform you that the King of Ferelden and the Teryn of Highever have arrived." she salutes when she leaves.

The twins look at each other and grin. The others see their wicked grins and notice they were up to something. Juliet nods, and Elissa disappears. They decide Elissa will be in stealth, and they would surprise Alistair and Fergus. Juliet begins giggling and turns to face the others, "Well, are you guys coming?" she asks when she starts walking out of the War Room. All of them look at each other and start shaking their heads. Everyone leaves the War Room and follows Juliet outside to the courtyard.

The villagers bow at Alistair and Fergus and see they are meeting with the Inquisitor. "Hey, Alistair." The nobles noticed Juliet didn't kneel to the King or use the proper term on greeting him.

"Hello, Juliet. Leliana, Cullen, and Hawke, it's good to see all of you. Lady Josephine, a pleasure." Leliana walks around Juliet's left to hug Alistair while Elissa is on Juliet's right. Elissa sees Zevran and smiles that he kept his promise. He winked at her, and she remembered that other rogues could sense when another was in stealth. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought the Teryn of Highever with me," Zevran coughs, "And my personal bodyguard, Zevran." Juliet and Leliana snicker at Alistair's annoyance at Zevran.

"It's quite alright," Juliet admits and sees her brother looking at her, "Hey, Fergus." she smiles and winks.

"Hey, Nix." Fergus sees his little sister wink and could see that she knew the truth, "You know?"

Juliet nods, "Yes, I know," she turns to her right, "Or should I say we know. Right, Dove?"

"Yes, we know, big brother." Elissa laughs as she comes out of stealth. Fergus walks over to his little sisters, takes one look at them, then hugs them. He kisses the top of their heads as tears begin to stream down his face. The Cousland children were reunited. "Fergus, you can let us go now. I would like to go hug my husband."

"I have missed you both." Fergus releases them from the hug. They smile while Elissa walks over to Alistair. He doesn't say anything, but he picks her up. He spins her in the air, and their laughter echoed throughout the fortress. They share a kiss as Alistair continues to hold her. He feared she would leave his sight again. Juliet smiles to see her sister happy and turns around to look at Cullen. She winks and sees him grin. Fergus watches the interaction between them and raises a brow to her, "Something I should know?"

"Fergus, be nice. Please, he's important to me."

Fergus nods to his sister's request and holds out his hand to Cullen, "Fergus."

Cullen looks at Juliet, and sees her nod. "Cullen," he greets, then looks over to Juliet, "Jules, we need to head back to the War Room." Juliet nods as she remembers the others need to know about the Wardens.

She whistles to Elissa and Alistair, for them to come into the castle. Cullen walks beside her, "Are you alright?" he whispers to her. Juliet nods then smiled when she intertwined her fingers with his. Alistair looks at Elissa as they walk behind them, and points at the interaction. Elissa agreed and mouthed she would explain later.

The doors open to the War Room, and everyone gathers around the table. Juliet begins to speak. "Alright, as I was saying earlier, Corypheus has control of the Wardens' minds. While we were in the Western Approach, we met Erimond, a Tevinter magister who taught the mages to perform a blood ritual. As for the others," Juliet looks over to Elissa and Alistair, "They're being used as the sacrifices. This is the demon army I saw back in Redcliffe." 

Hawke cuts in, "Erimond fled during the battle to the fortress of Adamant. Stroud believes Clarel could be there as well. We need to figure out how to create access for Nix's team to enter. Cullen?"

Cullen begins to scan the layout of the fortress and land. He grabs a quill and starts marking where there could be trebuchets and foot soldiers. "We fire here to take out any resistance on the walls. Hawke, could you be up there to help?" he asks when he looks up from the map, Hawke nods, and Cullen proceeds, "While Hawke is helping the men, we will create an entry for Juliet's team. Juliet, how to reach Clarel will be up to you." Cullen looks at everyone else and then her. It was a perfect plan, but everyone worried if Corypheus would show. No one would be able to protect Juliet if she came face-to-face with him again.

"Cullen, don't worry. Elissa and I will be with her." Alistair emphasized. Everyone looks at him, but Juliet looks at Elissa.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" she asks, and Elissa shakes her head. Juliet sighs as she turns her focus on Alistair, "Al, I appreciate that you are volunteering to help, but you and Elissa will be staying here."

"Why? We could-"

"No, when I met Erimond, he revealed to me that Corypheus knew about both of you. So, as your sister-in-law, please stay here. I have avoided being selfish since I became the Inquisitor, but now I am. I'm protecting my family." Alistair tries to reason again, but Elissa stops him. "Cullen, tell the soldiers to prepare on heading out in the morning. Meeting dismissed." Juliet collects her journal and is the first one to leave the War Room. Fergus and Elissa try to follow after, but Leliana stops them. Leliana knows that they wanted to help, but Juliet needed to be alone right now.

Juliet tries to hold back the tears before she reaches her quarters, but it was too late. She should be happy that her family was here, but instead, she felt guilty. The guilt of her being selfish ate at her. When she took on the role of the Inquisitor, she avoided putting her feelings above everyone else. When she arrives at her room, she takes her extra layers off then lays on her bed. She lets the tears completely through. She begins to ask herself, what more could she do besides cry? How could she stop feeling guilty about her choice of leaving Alistair and Elissa here and refused their help?

A knock disrupts her, and she goes to answer it. She wipes away the tear stains before opening the door. When she does, she sees Cullen standing there. He could tell by her puffy eyes that she had been crying. Neither spoke, but Cullen knew there was something wrong. He takes her hand and pulls her close to him. When he wraps his arms around her tiny frame, the tears come back, but stronger. He picks her up and carries her to her bed. He continues to hold her as she cried. "Juliet, it's okay. I'm here. What happened?" he asks as he wipes the last tear. She lays her head on his shoulder and takes a few deep breaths.

"I try to pretend that I'm alright, but there are days where I'm not. Cullen, after everything that's happened, I feel like I can't breathe," she admits, "Samson is after you. He wants to make you a red templar, and he knows your weakness."

"Jules, you may be my weakness, but you're my strength most of all," he admits, and Juliet smiles, "That's why you haven't been sleeping, isn't it?" he asks, and Juliet nods, then he sighs, "Juliet, I won't let him hurt you. I will always be here to protect you. I love you, my beautiful phoenix." He goes to kiss her forehead, but Juliet brings him to her lips. Their mouths crash into each other it felt as if time froze around them. Cullen had missed the taste of her while Juliet missed the strong grip of his calloused hands. She straddles herself in his lap and starts to remove his mantle. Cullen stops her, "Juliet, are you sure? I will stop if you want me to."

"Cullen, please. I need you." she pleads when she finishes removing the mantle.

 _"As you wish, my lady."_ Cullen grins as she locks the door with a snap of her fingers.


	34. Promise Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sleep is the last thing on the minds of the Inquisitor and the Commander of the Inquisition. Their desire for each other takes over, and this time they don't ignore it. Before they depart for Adamant, Cullen asks for a promise from Juliet.

Sleep was the last thing on their minds. Juliet's need for Cullen was her only focus. She watches him undress the top half of his chiseled body. His body, like hers, was covered in scars. The firelight formed a glow around his frame. She could see that he was taking his time. To make it perfect for both of them, but to tease as well. Cullen takes her hand and guides it down his chest. She doesn't break contact with his hungry eyes as she lets him take control. He places her arms around his neck and picks her up from the king-size bed. Her legs wrap around his lower back, and they begin to get lost in each other. One of his callous hands worked its way up her back. She wanted him, and he knew it.

The feeling of his hands touching her body sent her into a frenzy. He starts to kiss her neck, as that was her favorite spot. A small moan escapes her, and it causes Cullen to tighten his embrace. The tighter he pulled her to him, the louder she moaned. Cullen takes her hair down and sees her long red curls cascade around her clothed body. He wanted her approval before he began taking her shirt off. He meets Juliet's gaze and tastes her lips on his. Her tongue swishes with his, and he feels her bite his lip. _'This woman doesn't know what she does to me.'_

Cullen walks them back to the bed where he would make love to her. He places her on her back and starts to unbutton her shirt. Juliet looks down at his body but stops when she sees his arousal bulging through his breeches. Cullen finishes undoing her shirt but could see Juliet's focus on his cock. He grins then clears his throat. She doesn't break contact with her focal point. Cullen decides to untie her pants while she is distracted. Juliet looks at him, freeing her pants, and she chooses to have some fun of her own. She removes her shirt and arches her back. Cullen feels her move to his touch once again but doesn't flinch. He sheds the pants off the both of them, but Juliet's still in her smalls. He raises a brow to the black lace smalls she wore. "Jules? When did you get these?" 

"Huh?" Juliet rises and looks at the smalls she's wearing. "Of course! Fuck me!" she covers her face with a pillow. She forgot that she was wearing them. She doesn't notice Cullen was hovering over her.

 _"Gladly,"_ he growled. She feels the removal of the pillow and sees his eyes. The amber eyes were dark of desire. "I love them, but you won't be needing them," he affirms then removes them. Cullen takes the final look at her before he fills her request. "Maker, you are beautiful. Now, let me show you how much you mean to me." Juliet nods and forgets everything else. The only thing right now she was giving her full attention to was him. Cullen starts to plant kisses on her body and holds her back. The moans started small, but when Cullen went back up her chest, they would get louder. "Love, tell me what you want. Tell me," he snarls when he nibbles on her neck. Juliet begins scratching down his back, and Cullen asks again, "Juliet! Tell me what you desire!"

"You! I want you now!" she cries. She was ready for him. Ready to have the thrill of being with him and the feeling of being loved. Their mouths meet as Cullen places his cock into her. He starts slowly to prepare her, and when she’s comfortable, he would know. She moans as she felt him inside of her, and that was it. He began bucking her, and the anticipation of her begging in his ears gave him the momentum. He watched her breasts bounce to the movement and placed one of his hands there. While he tended to squeeze one, the other he would suck on. Juliet arches her back and could feel Cullen's tongue on her bud. "Cullen! Faster! Please!

Cullen releases his mouth from her breast and goes back to her mouth. " _As you say, my love,"_ he growls as he bites her lip. Juliet starts to come undone to him and wraps her legs around his masculine frame. He follows on what she's doing and places her on his lap. Juliet could feel his heart beating faster after each thrust. Now, it was her turn to kiss his neck. Cullen moans, "Love, what are you doing?"

"It's my turn to show you how it's done." she grins. Cullen sees her grin and raises a brow. She pins him to the bed, and he's surprised that she could do it. Cullen admires how her body looked in the dim light. Her body was perfect to him; from the curves of her chest and rear to her flat stomach that could carry his seed, her delicate fingers touching his chest, then he sees the scars. She called them her battle wounds, and he loved them. Her toughest battles in life led her to be a force of nature. He feels her touch his hands. She guides his hands to her breasts and begins to thrust him. He starts to squeeze her chest, and both started having the desire they had been craving. Their naked bodies moved to a perfect rhythm and were slick with sweat. "Cullen! I need to-" she began her plea of needing to release herself.

Cullen places his palms on her back, and pulls her hair, "Release yourself to me, Nix. Come to me. Let me spill my seed in you. Is that what you want?" He growls. She doesn't answer and he tugs on her hair a little more, "Answer me, Juliet!" He demands.

"YES! Please!" She whimpers. Cullen grins as he pins her back on the bed. He thrusts her harder and faster. She claws down Cullen's back and pulls his face to hers. When their mouths crash into each other again, they reach their climax. Cullen stops himself from crushing Juliet, as he is exhausted from making love to her. He grabs the sheet off the floor and covers them. Juliet catches her breath as she intertwines her legs with his. "That was amazing." She giggles and lays her head on Cullen's chest. His heartbeat was slowing down. She smiles as she continues to listen to it.

"Yes, yes it was." He picks her head up, "I love you so much." He kisses her and feels her smile.

"I love you too, Cullen." She says and lays her head back down. Cullen runs his fingers through her hair. She could sense that he was worried, "Love, what's wrong?"

"How did you-" he began to ask, then remembered she could read minds, "I'm worried about when we reach Adamant. I want-no I need you to be safe. Promise me that you won't do anything reckless. Please, Jules."

"I promise, my love. I think Fergus approves of you. He was stunned by how fast you planned the movements for Adamant." She admits. "Is that another reason you need me to be safe? Are you scared of my brother?"

"No, I'm not. I'm worried that he will kill me if something happens to you." He answers, and hears Juliet laugh, "It's not funny, Jules." She laughs harder, and he couldn't hide how he loved hearing her laugh. Her smile and her laughter are what made her be his light. He couldn't believe after he's been through, he finally had a chance to be happy. Juliet cuddles close to him, and he wraps an arm around her. He took in her delicious scent of vanilla and lilies. She places her hand on his chest, and he lays his with hers. He hears her sigh, "Something is bothering you too?" he asks.

"Yes, give me a second," she removes herself from his embrace and digs through her bag. She wanted to give him the report of the quarry earlier, but other things came up. "Here, I'm sorry I ruined this special moment. I figured you wanted to see this earlier, but we were distracted," she explains as she wraps herself in the covers. Cullen begins to read the report. "It's all of my notes about my findings in the quarry," she finished.

As he reads the report, he rubs his chin. The details of Samson of mining the lyrium from people. Luckily, Juliet's team had stopped it from proceeding. "This is monstrous. We need to find a way to stop him. His armor must give him the strength the letters describe." 

"It's impossible to stop him then," Juliet sighed, "We need someone gifted with runes." Cullen had forgotten that Juliet didn't meet Dagna, the Arcanist.

"Actually, we do. Elissa sent a letter to an old friend. She's gifted in runes, and she would be happy to help. I met with her earlier today while you were resting."

"Now, we need to find him. We could-" she begins to explain and Cullen interjects.

"We've already found where he is. It's why we were in the War Room before you." he claims, "I wanted to take the stress away for you, and I hope you're not upset." Juliet shakes her head. He remembered he asked for her help, but he knew that she needed a break. "I was thinking if I could join you on the journey there?" he asked.

"Cullen, he has that armor. Not to mention, he wants you."

"Juliet, I would feel better if I was by your side. Please?" he pleaded.

She took a deep breath as she thought about it. She feels Cullen take her hand, and he squeezes it. They wanted to protect each other, but she knew Cullen would want to see this finished. "Alright, but I need you to be careful, my love." she presses her forehead to his. A tear slides down her face, and he kisses her.

"I promise. I will ask Bull and the Chargers to lead the soldiers to the Adamant while we take care of this. We can leave early as they make the preparations." he suggested. Juliet nods as she begins to cuddle closer to him. He holds her hand as she drifts off to sleep and says a small prayer for the days ahead of them. After the small prayer, Cullen feels his eyes become heavy, not long after he falls asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I decided to add the last bit of Before the Dawn information before the Inquisition goes to Adamant. The next chapter will focus on when Juliet's team along with Cullen find in the Shrine of Dumat.


	35. Family Moments and Finding Samson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the early morning for the departure to Adamant, Juliet and Cullen have unexpected guests. Juliet has a small moment with her family. Before they can meet with the others, they need to find how to destroy Samson's armor. Cullen tells Juliet he's no longer taking lyrium.

_"Good morning, beautiful."_ are the first words she hears. The aroma of oak and leather is what she smells. The calloused hands touching her body is what she feels. The sight of the man she loves smiling at her is who she sees. The taste of his lips leaves her wanting more. She could get used to waking up to these moments every morning. Juliet always thought love would never find her, but it did. She wanted to stay in Cullen's embrace a little longer, but the sunrise was coming up. Her favorite view each morning when she was in Skyhold. Juliet lets herself out of Cullen's arms and puts on his cloak before walking onto the balcony. Cullen takes in the view of her wearing his mantle as he joins her. They watch the sunrise together as he holds her close. While they were enjoying the scenery, a knock disrupts their peace. Juliet senses her sister, brother, and Alistair on the other side. "Well, this is gonna be great."

"What?" Cullen asked. He was confused by what Juliet meant until he heard the knock on the door.

"You better get dressed while I go distract my family," she suggests when she steps back into her room. She hands Cullen's cloak back to him and replaces it for her robe. Cullen follows with her suggestion and gets dressed in her bathroom. She walks down the stairs and opens the door slightly. "Good morning." she grinned.

Elissa raises a brow, "Good morning, Nix. We wanted to see you before you left, but is this a bad time?" she asks. 

Juliet narrows her eyes at her twin and nods, "Yes, I was about to get in the bath, but I heard a knock before I stepped in. Plus, I could sense you and Fergus." Elissa's facial expression doesn't change. She could see her sister was hiding something. "I promise I won't take long."

"I have a better idea," Elissa chimes in, "Love, Fergus, why don't you bring breakfast while I stay here with Juliet. Incase she is in the bath longer than she intends to," she recommends. They agree, and Alistair kisses Elissa then leaves with Fergus. They both wait for the lower staircase door to close then Elissa meets her sister's gaze. "Don't you have a bath waiting for you?" she asks. Juliet rolls her eyes when she opens the door wider for Elissa to come in. When they reach Juliet's room, Elissa sees Cullen standing there. "Good morning, Cullen. I didn't know you would be here." she teased.

"Leave him alone, Elissa," Juliet hissed, "Thank you for drawing me a bath, love."

"You're welcome. Good morning, Liss." he trembled. He worried that Fergus would be on the other side since he felt that Fergus didn't like him even if the twins implied that he did. He walks over to Juliet, "I need to pack for the trip and speak with Bull. I will see you soon. I love you." They kiss then he leaves.

Elissa can see Juliet beaming, she hasn't seen her this happy, but she remembers that she needs to prepare for the journey. She clears her throat, "Bath, now. Plus, you can tell me why he was here." Juliet sighs and could tell Elissa wasn't going to let it go. She nods and warms up the water with a snap of her fingers. After she's in the tub, Elissa began asking questions, "Well?" she asked as she picked out clothes for her sister.

"You were right."

"What?"

"You were right. Cullen is remarkable because we had sex last night." Juliet revealed.

"WHAT?!" Elissa shouted. She hears Juliet laughing at her. Juliet wished she could Elissa's face right now. "Your clothes are set on the bed. You didn't freak out this time?" she asked. She remembered the conversation from a few weeks ago that she had with Cullen. He was afraid he lost her after what happened in his office. 

"No, I didn't. I was comfortable as we started slow. It was perfect in every way." Juliet describes as she washes her hair, "When the light from the fireplace shined on him, it took my breath away." As they continue to gossip, they hear Alistair's voice.

"Juliet! Elissa! Come open the door; our hands are full!" he screamed. They snicker, and Juliet opens the door with a snap of her fingers. "Thank you. Wait what?" Alistair begins to say until he sees no one standing at the door. "Elissa? Where are you?"

"I'm giving Juliet her clothes! I will be out in a second. Jules said to sit everything down on her desk!" she hollers behind the bathroom door. Alistair and Fergus walk over to Juliet's desk and places the items. They set up a small sitting area for them to enjoy breakfast before Juliet leaves. The twins walk out to join them. Juliet smiles that they could have a small family meal together. 

"I can't tell you how happy I am that we are all together now," Fergus beamed. Juliet lays her head on his shoulder as she tries holding back the tears, "Juliet, I know I haven't been the best big brother, but please be safe out there."

"Yes, I agree, because I would like to get to know my sister-in-law." Alistair chimes in. Juliet laughs and nods to their requests. Elissa winks at her, letting her know everything will be okay. "I do have a question, Nix." he looks at her as she drinks her tea, "What is going on between you and Cullen?" he asks. Juliet chokes on her tea and Elissa starts to snicker. Fergus grins as he pats her on the back.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Al." 

"Oh, but I think you do." he inquired. Elissa pinches him, "Ow, what was that for?"

"It's Juliet's and Cullen's business," she begins and looks at Fergus and Alistair both, "and ONLY Juliet's and Cullen's." Fergus and Alistair look back at Juliet and see her sticking her tongue at them. They repeat the same motion, and all of them begin laughing.

"As much as I love this. I need to finish getting ready," Juliet stands up and fixes her hair. After she styled it, she reaches for her bags and cloak, until Fergus stops her. "I can carry my things, Fergus."

"I know, but let me at least help," he suggested, "Is there anything else you need?" Juliet scans the room to see if she was missing anything. After she checked twice, she shook her head. "Alright, let's head to the stables then." Fergus, Alistair, and Elissa begin to walk down the stairs, but Juliet doesn't move.

"I need to head to Cullen's office before we leave. I will meet you there," she informed. The trio nods, and they all leave her room. Juliet goes ahead to Cullen's office while the others go to the stables. She knocks and hears Cullen's voice. She walks in and closes the door. She sees Cullen staring at his desk. "Hey, are you ready to leave?" she asks. Cullen doesn't look up nor respond to her. "Cullen, what's wrong?" she asks as she walks closer. She sees a small box on his desk and hears him sigh.

"There's something I need to tell you," he warned, "As you know, lyrium is useful to templars because of the abilities they have. Ever since I left the Order, I no longer need to take it, but there are consequences." He rubs the back of his neck and meets Juliet's gaze. "Cass is the only one that knows. I have asked her to watch after me since the Seekers can sense when Templars are failing. If anything happens that puts my leadership in question, then I will defer to Cass's judgment." Juliet looks away and nods. Cullen could see that she worried about how he was feeling or if he needed to be with her on finding Samson. "Love, come here." he beckoned and held out his hand. Juliet places hers in his, and he pulls her closer. "I can endure this pain, but I can't handle the pain of you getting hurt. I'm sorry, I didn't tell you."

"I know, and it's alright. We will talk more about it later however, we need to head to the stables." Juliet kisses him, and they leave his office together. When they reach their horses, Fergus and Alistair signal Cullen to join them. Juliet hugs Elissa and hops onto Chestnut. "Please make sure Skyhold is still here when I get back." she jokes. Elissa laughs and gives her a thumbs up. The twins watch the interaction of their brother and Alistair with Cullen. They see Fergus pat him on the back then they join Juliet's side. The twins raise their brows to them.

"What?" all three said in unison.

"It seems Alistair and Fergus didn't listen to you, Dove."

"It does, doesn't it, Nix?"

Cullen laughs as he hops onto his horse. Juliet blows a kiss to her family, and they ride out of Skyhold. Juliet's team and Cullen heads Northwest while Bull, Hawke, and Stroud lead the army west to Adamant. Alistair holds Elissa close as they watch them depart.


	36. The Shrine of Dumat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team arrives at Samson's hideout to find it destroyed. Before they can search for what remains, they find red templars, waiting for them. Cullen finds out Juliet can control the elements during the battle. Afterward, they find Maddox, the creator of his armor, dying, and find the tools to undo Maddox's work, Cullen finds a letter from Samson. Now it was time to head to Adamant.

During the journey to the hideout, Juliet rode in silence. The others could see the determination she had to finish the jobs laid out before her. As they continued to travel, Juliet lies on her back. She closes her eyes and sighs before she looks at the map. She remembered Leliana informing her that her scouts found Samson's hideout. The location was at the Shrine of Dumat. As she examines the chart, she could see they had a day left until they were there. Nightfall was upon them, so Juliet suggests they make camp so the horses could have a break. Cullen wanted to ask if she was alright, but Dorian stopped him. He whispered that she travels like that when she's stressed, and it helps calm her. While Dorian explains to him the way they travel, Chestnut begins whining. He could sense his master's frustration and wanted to help. "I'm okay, Chestnut. Everything is okay," she insisted as she pats his side. When they reached a secluded area, Juliet hops off and walks in front of him. She places her head against Chestnut's and closes her eyes, "You understand me. I promise I'm alright. You hungry?" she asks and feels Chestnut nod, "Okay, here you go, my friend." she giggles as she conjures an apple for him. Cullen watches the interaction, and he became amazed by the bond they shared. He feels Cassandra tap his shoulder and sees her signal him to follow her. Cullen and Cassandra gather firewood, Varric sets out traps, while Dorian and Juliet pitch the tents.

While they gathered the firewood, Cassandra noticed how Cullen and Juliet didn't speak to each other during the trip. They are both her closest friends, and she could tell there was something wrong. She knew of what was causing Juliet's silence, but not Cullen's. She narrows her eyes at him as she placed the last of a woodpile in his hands. "You told her, didn't you?" she asks, and Cullen nods, "And?"

"She expressed that she understood everything, but I think she's worried," he answers, "Maybe it was a mistake telling her. I added more stress and worry to her. I-" he began to ramble, but Cassandra stopped him.

"Cullen, it wasn't a mistake. I know you don't want to risk her disappointment, but you did the right thing telling her. Juliet has her entire family again, and I understand why she's stressed and worried. All of us became her family, so she's doing everything she can to protect it." she explains as they went back to the others.

When they arrive, Cullen places the wood down and begins to light it. After a few failed attempts, he sees flames engulfing the pile. He looks up to see Juliet grinning at him. _'Of course. I should've known she would do that.'_ The others laugh at his reaction and give Juliet a round of applause. She bows to their applause, and Cullen joins in their laughter. Varric goes to check the traps and finds three of the five caught rabbits. He brings them back to the fire and makes a rabbit stew. Dorian and Cullen offer to take the first watch while Juliet, Cassandra, and Varric rest. After everyone had finished eating, Cullen and Dorian began the first watch, and the others went to the tents. The team continued to switch out until morning came. It was time to head out to Samson's hideout. 

When they arrive at the location, they see it desiccated and abandoned. "He must've known that we were coming," Juliet suggests as they continued to walk through the courtyard. She creates a barrier when she hears an arrow being shot. The bolt hits the shield, and Juliet growls, "It seems we aren't alone. Everyone ready?" They nod as they drew their weapons. After eliminating the templars, they see a behemoth coming from the tower doors. During the battle, the creature goes to aim for Juliet. She doesn't notice the blow coming towards her, until she hears Cassandra scream.

Cassandra yells, "Nix!" Juliet looks up to see the creature's bladed arm coming towards her. She screams as she tries to create another barrier, but it was almost too late. She feels someone pull her close to them, and hears a clang. She opens her eyes to see Cullen, holding his shield, protecting them.

The others fight the monster as he continues to hit Cullen's shield. Juliet looks over to the team, to the behemoth's footing, then to where she was standing. She releases herself from Cullen's embrace and faces the creature alone. As the behemoth charges towards her, she stomps the ground. "Everyone step back!" Juliet orders. They follow her order and moves back. A water sprout appears underneath the behemoth's feet. As it tries to block the water, Juliet turns her staff in her hands, and it causes the water to freeze. "Cass! Cullen! Hit him with your shields!"

They nod to the order, and hit the behemoth. When it shatters and the battle over, they begin to scan the courtyard. They don't find any clues so they head inside of the fortress. When they walk inside, they see firepits in the center, a few templars waiting for them, then they find Maddox. "Hello, Inquisitor." Juliet is shocked that he knew her title. Cullen kneels beside him, and could sense something was wrong.

"I will send for the healers-"

"That would be a waste, Knight-Captain Cullen," Maddox spoke dryly, "I drank all of my blightcap essence. It won't be long now."

"Maddox, we only wanted to ask you questions. It's about Samson's armor." Juliet answered.

Maddox lets out a dry laugh, "Yes, hence why I did what I did. I could not allow it. I destroyed this camp, as we all agreed it was best. The deaths here ensured Samson's escape." 

"All of you threw your lives away? For _Samson?_ Why?" Cullen growls. Juliet could hear the anger in his voice, and see the tension in his face. He looks away, and sees the worry in her eyes. 

"I owe it to him. He saved me even before he needed me. I had a purpose again," Maddox answered. His breaths became slower, "I... wanted to help..." Maddox's final words were quiet as a whisper. He closes his eyes, and his head falls forward. Cullen stands as he shakes his head. _'Another man lost to this madness.'_

"We need to see if Maddox missed something. We might find the tools to undo his work," Cullen suggested. They walk away from Maddox's body, and begin to search the area. They find lyrium bottles licked clean, a letter addressed to Cullen, then they locate Maddox's tools. They finally found the way to destroying Samson's armor. Now, it was time for them to head to Adamant. 


	37. Adamant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle with the Grey Wardens begins. Is it too late for Juliet to get them to reason? What happens when things get out of hand, and Juliet opens a fade rift to save her team?

The final preparations for the battle between the Wardens and Inquisition were ready. Juliet, Cullen, Hawke, and Stroud went over the positions they would be at during the battle. Stroud would stay with Juliet's team, Hawke would be on the battlements, and Cullen would control the army. They would wait until nightfall to attack, and they still had time to make one final check. While Juliet and her team stocked up on health potions, Cullen watches from afar. Hawke looks to see the Commander not breaking his gaze on Juliet. His eyes look over to Varric, and he cocks his head to him. Varric raises a brow to his dear friend, confused by what he was doing, until he looked at the direction where Cullen was standing. They nod to each other and walk over to him, hoping they could find out what could be wrong. "Hawke. Varric. Is something wrong?" Cullen asks. They don't answer as they crossed their arms. "What?"

"You tell us, Curly." Varric implies. Cullen doesn't respond to him. "It's about Nix, isn't it?" he asks. Cullen nods, and signals them to follow him to his tent. They follow and Cullen hands Varric the letter, from Samson. Varric doesn't open it, but could tell that this is why Cullen looked bothered when they arrived. "What does this have to-Oh, no. Cullen, please tell me he-" he begins to say before Cullen interrupts him.

"He didn't threaten me about hurting her to get to me? Yes, he did," he growls. As Hawke and Varric read the letter, they could see how descriptive Samson was of how he would hurt Juliet. Cullen remembers reading the letter for the first time. Seeing the words coming alive in his thoughts tore him apart. The images of his light being tortured by a man, he once called a friend, destroyed him. He sits in the chair nearby then places his head atop his hand. "Ever since I read that vile letter, the images don't escape my mind," he expressed. Hawke and Varric look up to see him look defeated.

"Cullen, have you told Jules about this?" Hawke asks. Cullen shakes his head, and bites his lip. "We both know that you didn't want this to happen, but it did. Now, we must figure out what to do about this."

"Hawke's right, but first, we need to stop the demon army," Varric explains. They nod in agreement, as Juliet walks in. She raises a brow to the trio, waiting for one of them to explain what they were agreeing to. They look at each other, and tried to hide their slyish grins. She crosses her arms, and looks over to Cullen. He was about to answer, until Varric steps in, "Nix, I will explain, but later. Okay?" Juliet nods, and heads back outside. Before they follow her out, Varric turns around, "You owe me." Cullen chuckles and they leave the tent.

Nightfall came, and now it was time for the battle. Cullen leads the charges of the trebuchets' fire. As the archers began to fall off the battlements, Hawke teleports to control the top. The foot soldiers begin to march to the front gates. When they arrive, Wardens begin to throw the boulders on top of them. The doors finally open, and Juliet's team walks through. "They have made it through! We need to protect Clarel!" A senior Warden yelled. Shades and a Warden mage attacks the group.

After they take care of their enemies, Cullen comes through the door. "Juliet, we got you the way in. Now, to find Clarel is up to you. We-" A scream interrupts Cullen. He turns to see a shade pushing an Inquisition soldier off the battlements. "There's too much resistance on the walls. You need to find Hawke and help our soldiers gain a foothold." he suggested. Before he heads back to the army, he turns to Varric, "Varric?"

"We got her, Curly. She's in good hands," Varric beamed. Juliet winks at Cullen, and they go their sepearate ways. Along the way, the team finds two groups of Wardens. One of the groups, their leader pleaded to stop the blood rituals. As for the other, they proceeded to attack the resistancing Wardens. Juliet's team steps in, and helps stop their spellbound brethern. After they protected them from their enemy's ambush. Juliet explains that they came to help, and if they stop fighting them then they would be spared. The group's leader agrees and offers to help the Inquisition fight. Stroud offers to guide them to the areas that was near the army, while Juliet took care of the battlements.

When they reach the battlements, they see demons gathering around Hawke. They rush into the fight and help the soldiers gain the foothold that they needed. Now, it was time to find Clarel and Erimond. The team meet Stroud and Hawke in the main bailey, fighting with the Inquisition's army to slay a rage demon. They walk through the doors of the main courtyard to see a rift in the center, then Juliet's eyes look over to where Erimond is. She sees Warden Clarel giving a speech to the remaining Wardens then spots a Warden behind her. Clarel slits his throat, and places his body on the table. Juliet leads the team to the front of the Wardens and Erimond recognizes her. He grins at her as he taps on Clarel's shoulder. Clarel turns to see him pointing at Juliet's group and glares. "Hello, Inquisitor. If you have come to stop us then you are too late."

"Clarel, listen. If you proceed with this ritual, then you're exactly doing what Erimond wants." Juliet pleads.

"What, fighting the Blight? Keeping Thedas safe from the Darkspawn? Who wouldn't want that?" Erimond intervenes. Sadness appears on Clarel's face as Erimond continues, "Yes, the ritual requires blood. You can't hate me if you must, but don't hate the Wardens for doing their duty!"

Clarel steps forward, "If we don't make the sacrifices no one else will! Our warriors have died proudly, for a world that will never thank them!"

"Then Tevinter will bind your mages to Corypheus!" Stroud states. When Stroud said Corypheus's name, shoke rose to Clarel's face. She shook her head to what she thought is a lie, but Stroud reassures her that it was true. "It must seem that Erimond didn't mention that detail. Yes, that creature is alive."

Erimond walks over to Clarel, "They will say anything to shake your confidence, Clarel. Don't listen to them." Clarel pinches the bridge of her nose as Erimond's words echo in her ears. Juliet watches her posture change when Erimond spoke to her.

"Bring it through," Clarel orders the Wardens. Erimond smiles at Juliet as Clarel headed his words. The Warden mages begin to warp the rift and an image of a giant spider is on the other side. Juliet begins to walk toward the rift, with her team trailing behind her. The mages block her path to the rift and Clarel. Both Hawke and Stroud try to reason with them, but they resist the plea. The spider's screech echoes from the tear through the courtyard's walls. 

"Be ready with the ritual, Clarel," Erimond explains, and looks over to her, "Your strength is truly worthy for this demon." he inputs as he grabs his staff. Clarel looks over to where Juliet stood.

"My twin sister, Elissa Cousland, is the Warden-Commander of Ferelden. She is the one that stopped the Fifth Blight that was in Denerim. The world owes you a debt, but it can never be repaid. If I didn't _know_ you were being misused, then I would not stand against you!" Juliet pleads for the final time. The Wardens, who blocked her path turn to Clarel, then she turns to Erimond.

"Clarel, you're the only one that can do this! We've come so far to stop now."

"Perhaps, we could test the truth to these charges. So no more blood will be spilt." Clarel suggests.

"Or perhaps I should bring in a more reliable ally," Erimond growls and turns to face Juliet. He taps the blade of his staff on the ground, before speaking, "My master knew you would come, Inquisitor! He sent me this to welcome you!" The sound of a dragon screeching echoed in the skies. Juliet looks up to see the dragon atop a tower, the same dragon that destroyed Haven. As Erimond grinned at the sight, Clarel hits him with a spell. The dragon watches Erimond fall, and turns his gaze away from Juliet, to Clarel. She charges another attack but aims at the dragon. Erimond begins to crouch away, and holds up his hand, "Clarel wait." She releases the spell at the creature and it hits. The dragon screeches as he spits red lyrium shards on where she stood. As she avoids the strike, the dragon flies off from it's perch, tries to block her path to Erimond. The blocked off gave a chance for Erimond a head start to run. She stands,and looks to the Wardens. She orders them to help the Inquisition while she went to find Erimond. She runs off as the rift opens.

Demons come through the rift, and the mages begin to attack Juliet's team and the Wardens. As they fought the demons, the dragon would try to strike them where they would be. Luckily, Juliet and Dorian would put shields around their allies when the dragon would charge for them. After the rift was closed temporarily, the Wardens insisted for Juliet to follow after Clarel. As they followed the path that Clarel and Erimond took, demons would try to attack them. They would dispel them quickly as they ran through. They find Clarel near the entrance leading to the bridge and Erimond on the other side. They watched Erimond try to attack Clarel as she marched towards him, and blocking his spells along the way. "You stupid bitch! I was trying to help you," he spat when he fell down to her stonefist spell.

"NO! You were trying to destroy us!" Clarel interjects. She prepares for the killing blow until the dragon picks her up in his mouth. He swings his head and releases her from his fangs. Juliet's team rushes forward to stop Erimond from escaping them for the last time. Juliet uses her staff to knock him out, and feels the bridge begin to tremble. They turn around to see the dragon walking towards them. Everyone draws their weapons and Juliet notices that Clarel was still alive. Clarel starts reciting the Grey Warden motto as she crawls to her staff. "In Peace, Vigilance," she coughs, "In War, Victory," she lets out a bated breath, "In Death..." she grabs her staff and flips over on her back, "Sacrifice." She charges her final spell and hits the dagon's belly.

The dragon screeches as he feels the shock of electricity through his body. When he tries to take off, he slams back onto the bridge and it begins to crumble. The party start to fall back, but Stroud gets stuck. Juliet and Hawke run to help until the bridge falls out from under their feet. As they emerge in the foundation's pieces flying through the air, Juliet sees they're about to fall their deaths. "NIX, FUCKING DO SOMETHING!" Varric yells. She holds out her hand to conjuer a barrier, but instead, she opened a tear, and they fall into it.


	38. The Faded Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds themselves physically walking in the Fade. They find a spirit of Divine Justina and learn the truth about what happened at the Conclave. The Nightmare that controls the Fade learns of their arrival and uses their fears to scare them. He saves Juliet's for last before they meet. One must stay to keep it at bay and Juliet must decide who stays.

When Juliet opened her eyes, she had hoped to see them in the courtyard with the Wardens, but they were in the Fade. Juliet looks around as they slowly descended to the ground. She reaches out to touch the surface as she hangs above it, but lands on her back. "Fuck," she groans. She stands and notices the team is in different angles. From the angles they stood, all were able to observe the area. Hawke noticed that it looked different than the last time he was here. Dorian points out that they were physically there instead, of someone's dream. They look to Juliet, hoping she might have an answer. "Just let me think for a second," Juliet sighs, "We fell from there, so we need to head-" she scans the area once again until a light in the distance beams, "There. Isn't that the rift that's in the courtyard?" she asks. They begin their trek in the Fade to reach their destination. They find stairs leading to a cliff and see the Divine standing before them.

"By the Maker, could that be...?" Stroud begins to ask, but is stunned.

"I greet you, Warden. And you, Champion." the Divine greeted them.

"Divine Justinia? Cass, is this really her?" Juliet asks.

Cassandra cocks her head, "I'm not sure, but be wary, Nix." Juliet nods, and turns her attention back to the possible Divine.

"You think my survival impossible, yet here you stand in the Fade yourselves, and you're alive," the Divine jests, "In truth, proving my existence requires time that we do not have," she turns to Juliet, "You do not remember what happened at the Conclave, Inquisitor."

"The real Divine would have no way of knowing of me becoming the Inquisitor," Juliet informs.

The Divine nods, "I know because I have examined your memories by the demon that serves Corypheus," she begins to pace, "It is the Nightmare you forget upon waking. It feeds off memories of fears and darkness, growing fat upon the terror." The Divine continues to explain that when the false Calling was its creation. Stroud's anger rose as he was wanting to avenge his brethern. The Divine calms him, and informs them that the Fade is its lair. 

"The big demon Erimond was trying to bring through?" Juliet asks. The Divine nods. "It's nearby?" she asks. The Divine nods again. "Well, shit," Juliet mutters.

"Before you can leave, you must recover your memories. The demon took a part of you from when you entered the Fade, the first time," she waves her arm and wraiths appear. "These are your memories, Inquisitor." As Juliet recovers each memory, she hears her voice, the Divine's, and Corypheus. After she retrieves the final one, they finally learn what happened that day. 

_The memory starts of showing Divine Justinia being bound, and her life force ebbing away. As the memory continues, it shows Wardens mages casting a binding spell on the Divine. Corypheus's voice echoes throughout the hall, "Now is the hour of our victory." The Divine looks to the Wardens._

_"Why are you doing this? You of all people?"_

_Corypheus descends from the stairs and holds out the orb, "Keep the sacrifice still." The orb lights up and begins to take the remaining life force of the Divine. Before it is completed, she calls out for help._

_"Someone help me!"_

_The door kicks open, Juliet walks through, "What's going on here?" Everyone turns to her and the Divine hits the orb out of Corypheus's hand. As it rolls to Juliet, she runs to catch it, and Corypheus tries to stop her. When orb lands in her hand, the Anchor is placed. The truth about Juliet's anchor is known. The team returns to the present, and everyone looks at Juliet._

Stroud is the first one to speak, "So the mark isn't from Andraste, but from the orb Corypheus carries." The Divine begins to explain the what the Anchor was, and why Corypheus needed it. He wanted to enter the Fade and go open the doors to the Black City. He wanted it for himself and not for the Old Gods. The Anchor placed itself onto Juliet's hand, and in turn, that is what caused the Breach. She watches Juliet turn away and could see she began to doubt who she was. The Divine explains that if Juliet believed in the Maker and his creations, then she would understand that it includes her accident as well. If she didn't then nothing has changed.

"You will not be able to escape the Nightmare's lair, until you recover all of your memories. You have recovered some, but now it knows that you are here," The Divine warns, Juliet looks to the others, "I will prepare the way ahead." Before they could thank her, they turn to see that she disappeared.

Hawke shakes his head, "Those were Grey Wardens holding the Divine in that vision. Their actions led to her death."

"I assumed he had taken their minds, as we have seen before," Stroud defends as he turns to follow the next pathway, "Come. We can argue after we leave this place."

"Oh, I intend to," Hawke growls.

As they begin to explore the Fade, a voice echo's in the sky, "Ah, we have a visitor." They look around to see where the voice was coming from, but didn't see anyone. "Some silly little girl comes to steal the fear that I kindly lifted from her shoulders," the mysterious voice sent shivers down Juliet's spine, it was the Nightmare, "You should've thanked me and left your fear where it lay, forgotten. Your pain will not make you stronger." Juliet rubs her temples as the Nightmare continued to taunt her. "I am the only one that grows stronger. You are guest here in my home, so by all means, let me return what you have forgotten." 

The team start to help troubled spirits with their own nightmares. As they walk through the Fade, the Nightmare's voice returns. "Perhaps _I_ should be afraid, facing the most powerful members of the Inquisition." His laughter made everyone shiver, "Like Cassandra. Your Inquisitor is a fraud. Yet more evidence there is no Maker, that all your 'faith' has been for naught." Cassandra looks away, and feels someone grab her hand, it was Juliet. Juliet squeezes it and she repeats it back. A rage demon and shades appear before them. When the demons were slain, the Nightmare calls out Dorian, "Greetings, Dorian... it is Dorian, isn't it? For a moment, I mistook you for your father." The team continues to follow the path leading to the Divine. Along the way, Varric's fear is next, "Hawke is in danger once again, thanks to you, Varric. You are the one that found the red lyrium, and you brought him here."

"Just keep talking, Smiley," Varric mutters. Hawke places a hand on his shoulder and Varric nods to show he was alright. The Nightmare reveals Hawke's fear of failing Kirkwall, but what angered Hawke the most is when he said Isabela was going to die, just like the rest of his family. Spiders came to attack them and Dorian suggested that it was smaller fears. Cassandra stated that she sees maggots instead of spiders. The Nightmare calls out to Stroud, of the Grey Wardens' failure, and that he is to blame.

The team thinks the Nightmare's taunting is over, until Juliet falls to the ground. She hears the creature's voice in her mind, "You cannot save them. You can't keep them safe. Elissa, Alistair, Fergus, even your precious lion. Cullen will become a follower to Samson," The Nightmare laughs as he hears Juliet scream. Her cheeks felt hot from the tears, and her throat burned from her screams. Varric walks over to her and begins to console her. She doesn't hear what Varric is saying as she continues to scream. The others don't know what happened to Juliet, but they could see that she was tortured by her fears. Varric helps her stand and she insists that she is fine.

They meet with the Divine again to recover the last half of Juliet's memories. When the memories return to her, she hears her voice and the Divine's. They learn that when Juliet was in the Fade, Justinia was with her. They were being chased by spiders, and when they reached the tear from the Breach, something captures Justinia. Her final word to Juliet was _"Go."_ Juliet tried to help, but it was too late. They return back to the present, and Juliet sees Justinia looking at her. "They say it was Andraste that was behind me, but it was you." The Divine nods, and a golden glow appears around her body. They turned away as the light blinded their sight. When they turn around, they see Justinia's body illuminating in the emerald sky. "Are you her spirit?"

"If that is what you want to tell them, then yes," Justinia answers.

Hawke glares at Stroud, "What we do know is that the mortal Divine perished at the temple, thanks to the Grey Wardens."

"As I said before, the Grey Wardens responisble for that crime were under control to Corypheus. We will discuss this whenwe get back to Adamant." Stroud defends.

"Assuming the demon army didn't destroy the Inquisition while we were gone," Hawke rebuttals.

"How dare you judge us. You tore Kirkwall apart and started the Mage Rebellion!" Stroud spat.

Hawke gets face-to-face with Stroud, "To protect innocent mages, not madmen drunk on blood magic!" The others join in their debate and Juliet groans.

She walks over to where Hawke and Stroud stood, "Sweet Maker, will both of you please shut up!" Everyone looks at her then sees spiders apperaing behind her. 

"The Nightmare has found us. We must hurry to the exit." Justinia beckons and disappears. Juliet's team takes care of the demons before they could find where the spirit disappeared to. When they find her, they see her trying to break a seal that's blocking the path. Three waves of demons appear as the team waits for the seal to break. After the last wave, the barrier is broken and they follow the spirit to the next seal. As the spirit begins to undo it, the Nightmare's voice calls out to them.

"Do you think you can fight me? I am your every fear come to life!" he taunted, "I'm the veiled hand to Corypheus himself! The demon army is under my command. They're bound through me!"

"Ah, so if we destroy you then the demons would follow as well. Thank you, every fear come to life." Justinia smirked as she breaks another seal. The Nightmare roar of rage echoes into the sky as the team was getting close to the lair. The last barrier had a pride demon guarding it. While they fought the large demon, the spirit focused on destroying the barrier. When the battle was over and the seal destroyed, it was time to face the Nightmare once and for all.

Before they enter the lair, they draw their weapons. As they run in, they see the demon that they saw in the tear. A giant spider, and the aspect of the Nightmare as it's commander. Juliet spots the rift behind the monsters and tries to figure out what to do. As she tries to come up with a plan, the Divine touches her shoulder, "Tell Leliana, I failed her too," she says as she blinds the spider with her glow. The battle begins, and the aspect focused on Juliet the most. He put Hawke and Stroud in a daze as the others fought him. When the battle was won, they could reach the tear. Dorian, Varric, and Cassandra ran ahead, while Juliet, Stroud, and Hawke trailed behind. Juliet tries to rush the two, but is unaware the spider behind her, and is blocking the path again.

"We need to clear the path!" Stroud shouts.

"Go, I'll cover you!" Hawke suggests.

"No, you were right. The Grey Wardens caused this. A Warden must-"

Hawke cuts in, "A Warden must help them rebuild. That is _your_ job!" he looks to Stroud then to the monster, "Corypheus is mine!"

Juliet stays silent for a moment, then looks to Stroud, "Stroud I-" she begins to say until he cuts her off.

"Inquisitor. Juliet, it has been an honor," he bows his head and draws his weapons. He charges at the monster, "For the Grey Wardens!' he yells as Hawke and Juliet run to the rift. Hawke grabs Juliet's hand as they watch Stroud battle the creature before going through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you for reading my story! I was dreading this chapter because at the end of it, you have to make a choice. I have only had Stroud as the Warden companion so I choose for him to stay. I have to ask, if you played Inquisition then who did you choose who stayed?
> 
> Sending lots of love and good vibes to anyone who needs it!


	39. Reliving The Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team returns to Adamant and the demon army destroyed. Juliet chooses to ally with the Wardens, even though they could be at risk of being under Corypheus's control again. They learned that Erimond survived the fall and will wait for judgment at Skyhold. The team heads back to the outer camp. While Juliet gets rest, the others inform Cullen what happened.

The Wardens and Inquisition continue to fight the demons and spellbound Wardens. During their fight, the rift begins to warp again. They slay the last wave as the Inquisitor's team comes through. Juliet snaps her fingers and the rift along with the leftover demons close. Both sides cheer as Hawke walks up to Juliet, "She was right. Without the Nightmare to control them, the mages are free and the demon army no more. Though as far as they're all concerned, the Inquisition broke the spell with the blessing from the Maker. "

"Once they learned what really happened, they'll-" Juliet begins to say and Hawke cuts her off.

"They'll be terrified. I, for one, am tired of giving fear demons anything to feed on. Let them have their story," he suggests then winks at Varric. Juliet smiles and agrees with Hawke's suggestion. An Inquisition scout comes to inform her that the Archdemon flew off when they disappeared. Erimond was unconscious but alive. The Commander thought she would like to deal with him herself. The Wardens, who weren't corrupted did help them fight off the demons.

A Warden Lieutenant salutes Juliet, "We stand ready to help make up for Clarel's... tragic mistake," the Warden notices that Stroud was not with them, "Where is Stroud?" Juliet, Hawke, and the others look away. 

Juliet takes a deep breath, "Warden Stroud died striking a blow against a servant of the Blight. We will honor his sacrifice, and remember how he exemplified the ideals ofthe Grey Wardens. Even as Corypheus and his servants tried to destroy you all from within."

"But Inquisitor, we have no one left of significant rank. What do we do now?" The Warden asked.

Juliet answers, "You will stay and do whatever you can to help. Stroud died for the ideals of the Wardens. In War, Victory, and we are still at war. Do you believe the Wardens can still help?" she asks the lieutenant, and he nods, "You're still vunerable to Corypheus, and possibly the Venatori, but there are plenty of demons that need killing." The Warden and Inquisition scout salute her and gather the soldiers. She walks down the platform and over to Hawke.

"While they head to Skyhold, I'll head to Weisshaupt, and inform the Wardens there of what happened. There will be a few friends there waiting for me. I'll keep in touch," Hawke explains and looks over to Varric, "Nix, take care of Varric for me. At least until I get back?" he asks and Juliet raises a brow. "Like I said in the Fade, Corypheus is my job to take care of. I will be back at Skyhold in a few weeks." Juliet nods to Hawke's request and hug. He walks over to Varric and hugs him. As they hug, he whispers, "Be on the lookout from my letter. I need to find our family." Varric chuckles and nods.

On the way back to the outer camp, the images the Nightmare showed Juliet doesn't escape her mind. The deaths of everyone she cares about had frightened her, until the image of Cullen becoming a Red Templar appeared next. Her love, her home, her everything turning into the monster she was trying to prevent, tore her apart. She knew that it wouldn't happen, but in the back of her mind, made her think differently. When they arrive, she sees him smiling at her, at least he knew she was safe. Bull helps her down, and takes Chestnut so she can go to Cullen, but she doesn't. Instead, she goes to her private tent, as the others join the rest of the soldiers.

Cullen watches her enter her tent, and he goes to follow her, until Dorian stops him. "Cullen, she doesn't want to be bothered right now," he informed, Cullen raises a brow to the mage. "She's gonna kill me if I tell you," he warned. Cullen crosses his arms as he waits for him to explain. When he begins explaining a few details of what happened, Cullen looks over to her tent, and tension rose to his face. Dorian takes notice of Cullen's expression change.

From a few feet away, Cassandra hears Dorian telling Cullen about what they experienced in the Fade. She walks over to them and glares at Dorian. They acknowledge her approach and wave. She doesn't break her focus off Dorian. "I thought we all agreed to let Nix tell him?" she asks.

"Cass, you should know of all people, that she wouldn't be able to. Plus, I had to give him an explaination of why she didn't want to be bothered." Dorian defended. 

"There's something else, isn't there?" Cullen asks them, but they didn't answer. He looks at Cassandra, "Cass, please." Cassandra doesn't answer to his plea, and she hears him sigh. They don't notice Varric stood behind them.

"Seeker, go to Nix's tent, and keep an eye on her," Varric insisted, "You too, Sparkler." They nod and head to Juliet's tent. Varric motions Cullen to follow him to somewhere private. As they disappeared from everyone, Cullen notices Bull standing at the entry of Juliet's lodgings. "I had asked Tiny to stand guard, so no one would bother her." Varric must've heard Cullen's thoughts of what Bull was doing. They were in silence as they continued to walk to the secluded area. When they arrived to the location, Cullen sees it is overview of the entire camp. Varric watches him take in the view and sits on the nearby bench. Cullen joins him, and they both sigh. Varric is the first one to speak, "Before I say anything, I need to know what Sparkler said, so I can continue it."

Cullen runs his fingers through his golden curls and sighs, "Dorian explained to me that all of you've learned the truth about the Anchor, and the Conclave. Then it was about the Nightmare picking apart your fears, but Cass walked up to us before he could finish."

Varric nods, "Well, that monster did pick our fears and tried to use them against us, but Juliet's was..." his voice trails off. Cullen felt the pace of his hearteat quicken. Cullen places his face into his hands and muffled a curse. Varric puts his hand on his back, "He said our thoughts aloud, but he entered Juliet's mind. He taunted her with images of all of us dead, except you. The image of you-" 

"Becoming a red templar. Her deepest fear is about me and that demon used it to tear her down. Maybe I should let her go, before she comes to more harm." Cullen stands and walks over to the cliffside again. _'The fear of me turning into my former brethern has tortured her for too long. My addiction has been eating at me for the past few days. but I don't know what else to do. Maybe I should speak with Cassandra about the replacement option. I don't think I will be able to do the job the way everyone expects me to.'_ He thought as they traveled back to the inner camp.

They walk over to Juliet's tent and Dorian, Cassandra, and Bull walk out. Dorian informed the duo that she was asleep. Bull joked that she was stubborn like Cassandra, as she insisted that she was alright. They laugh at Bull's joke, but Cassandra rolls her eyes. They made an opening for Cullen to join Juliet's side as they slept. Bull offered to stay guard so they wouldn't be disturbed. When he walks inside, he sees her sleeping peacefully, and he could breathe better that she was there. He takes off his cloak and places it on her body. He goes to sit over in the chair nearby, until she grabs his hand. "Please, hold me." she whispers. He still wasn't used to her telepathic ability, and forgot that she could sense whenever he was near. 

He kneels beside her and her ice-blue eyes flutter open. The color of her eyes always took his breath away. He smiles at her and kisses her forehead. He removes the plating of his armor, gloves and his boots before he could fulfill her request. She sits up so he could lie on his back. When Cullen is comfortable, he pulls Juliet closer to him. Before he closes his eyes, Juliet's voice interrupts the process. "They told you, didn't they?"

"Yes, but don't worry. We don't have to talk about it right now," he encouraged, "Juliet, you're safe now. We need to get some rest before we head home." Juliet nods and kisses him. She lays her head back on his chest and soon drifts off to sleep. Cullen lays awake, alone in his thoughts, hoping he can find answers he needs by the time they leave. For now, he will hold the woman he loves, as he falls alseep. 


	40. Perserverance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a few days from returning from Adamant, Juliet notices Cullen hasn't been seen around Skyhold. Fergus gives the twins their letters from their father. Cullen deals with his withdrawals and confides in Cassandra to replace him, but she refuses. When Juliet learns of what happened, she goes to help. Cullen finally tells her what happened to him when he was a Templar.

The crisp fall air enters Juliet's room. She awoke to the breeze touching her cheeks. The aroma reminded her of the times she went to Highever. It was one of the few times she would be away from Ostwick. She only went to Highever to celebrate hers and Elissa's birthdays. Twenty years have passed since they have celebrated, now they would be able to. When they were younger, they would go to the festival instead of having a big party. She remembered when Josephine asked when their birthdays were, so she could throw them a party. Before she could answer, Varric had came to her rescue. The twins agreed that they didn't want a party, but convincing Josephine and Leliana would be challenging.

Juliet leaves the warmth of her bed to watch the sunrise. She was happy to be home. She had her family here, and they were safe, although something was missing. Since the Inquisition's return from Adamant, Cullen hadn't come by her quarters. She looks to see if he was running drills with the soliders, but he wasn't there. She begins looking all over the fortress, but she couldn't find him. A knock disrupts her search, and she heads inside to answer it. When she opens the door to see Elissa and Fergus. "Hey, come in," she greets, and they walk in.

"Good morning, Juliet," Fergus greeted, "I hope we aren't keeping you from anything."

"Or anyone," Elissa teased. Juliet rolls her eyes at her sister, then turned her attention back to their brother. Both Fergus and Elissa took notice of now their sister looked bothered. "Nix, what's wrong?" Elissa questioned, but Juliet doesn't answer, "Juliet?"

Juliet sighs, "Have any of you seen Cullen since we've been back?" They shook their heads and go sit on the couch. Juliet runs her fingers through her hair as she begins to pace, "Damn it." Fergus and Elissa exchange glances as Juliet continued pacing. "I haven't either. He isn't running drills, but Rylen is," Juliet explains, "This isn't like him."

"Maybe he's swamped with paperwork, Jules," Fergus suggested, "Have you been to his office?" Juliet shakes her head then starts to turn her locket. Fergus walks over to her, and hugs her.

She begins to let out muffled sobs, "I'm worried... that he couldn't handle being... with me." Her deepest fear of losing the man she loves was possibly coming true. She remembers that her sibilings came to her, and she never asked why. "I'm sorry, I never asked why you came to see me," she apologized.

Fergus lets out a light chuckle, "It's alright, but it can wait."

"Fergus, what is it?" She asks, and removes from her brother's embrace. Fergus reaches in his pocket then hands letters to her and Elissa. They both examine their letters and notice the signature was from their father. "Dove, you can read yours if you want, but I will read mine later." 

"Nix-" Elissa starts to say

"No, Elissa. Father wrote to me as well, these were my instructions to give the letters to the two of you. He said you can read them when you were ready to," Fergus explains, "Besides, Juliet needs to see if Cullen is alright." When they leave her room, Juliet doesn't move. She holds the letter, and a tear runs down her face as she continues to look at it. She places it on her desk and ponders over if she should read it, or wait. She deicdes to wait, because Fergus was right, she needed to find Cullen. The first place she goes to is his office, but he wasn't there. A scout informs her that was with Cassandra at the forge, so she decided to head there next.

In the forge, Cullen rubs his temples. "Cass, please? I don't know if I can do this job, especially when I'm like this." The lyrium withdrawals come at unexpected times, and today was one of those days. The aftermath of Adamant triggered it, but he had a feeling it would come and so did Cassandra. He hated that he was avoiding Juliet, but he didn't want her to see him like this. He woke up to a simple headache, but now it was turning into a migraine. "Cass, please?"

"You asked for my opinion, and I given it," Cassandra hissed, "Why would you expect it to change?" she asks as she crosses her arms.

"I expect you to keep your word. It's rentless, I can't-" Cullen explains, but Cassandra cuts him off.

"You give yourself too little credit, Cullen," she encouraged, and Cullen scoffs. "Why are you so stubborn?"

He looks away, "If I'm unable to fulfill what vows I kept, then nothing good has come of this," he explains, and turns to face her again. "Would you rather save face than admit-" Cullen stops when he hears the door to the forge open. They see Juliet walking in, and Cullen walks past her. He whispers to her, "Forgive me." When Cullen leaves, Cassandra explains to Juliet of what happened. She expressed that if anyone could get through to him, it was her. Juliet agrees and they leave the forge. As Cassandra goes to the training dummies, Juliet makes her way to Cullen's office. When she opens the door, a box smashing against the wall startles her when she walks in. "Maker's breath! Juliet, I didn't hear you enter. I-Forgive me," he apologized.

"Cullen, talk to me, please?" she asks.

"You don't need to-" he begins to say, but starts to lose his balance. Juliet rushes to his side, but he brushes it off. She snaps her fingers, the door closes, and all of them lock. "I never meant for this to happen." 

"Are you going to be alright?" she asks, as she tries to hold back the tears seeing him like this.

He sighs, "Yes... I don't know." Juliet walks over to his desk and leans against it. Cullen looks away, "Remember when you asked how I knew Elissa, and what happened at Ferelden's Circle?" Juliet nods, "The templars-my _friends-_ were slaughtered. It was taken over by abominations, and they had me tortured. They tried to break my mind, and I-" he lets a slight chuckle out, "How can you be the same person after that?" Juliet didn't have a answer, but she wished that she did. "Still, I wanted to serve."

"That's when they sent you to Kirkwall, isn't it?" Juliet asks, and he nods.

"I trusted my Knight-Commander, and for what? Her fear of mages ended in madness. Innocent people died, in the steets," he looks to Juliet, "Can't you see why I want nothing to do with that life?"

"Of course I can. I-" Juliet tries to sympathized, but Cullen stops her.

"Don't, Jules. You should be questioning me on what I have done," he starts pacing, "I thought after I left, I would be able to regain control over my life, but these thoughts won't leave me. The lives that depend on our success. I swore myself to this cause!" he stops in front of his bookcase, "I will _not_ give less to the Inquisition than I did the Chantry. I should be taking it!" he snarls then punches the bookcase. Books fly off the shelves and Cullen sighs, "I should be taking it."

Juliet walks over to him, and gently places her hand on his. She guides his hand away from the shelf, and he loosens his fist. She slowly places her other hand on his face, "Cullen, you've come so far. Don't stop now, please. You don't have to do this alone anymore, I'm here with you." He places his hand on hers and smiles a little. Before he could argue with her, "You can say that you don't want to burden me with your problems, but we are in this together. Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily." she winks and smiles, "Now, get some rest, and I will come check on you in a bit, okay?" she suggested, and turns to leave. Before she walks out the door, she looks at him one last time, "I love you, my lion."

When the door closes, Cullen whispers, "I love you too, my phoenix." Before he climbs the ladder to his loft, he feels something in his hand. He looks down to see Juliet's locket in his palm. _'How did I not notice that she placed this in my hand?'_ he thought. When he's upstairs, he takes off his armor and lies down on his bed. He holds onto Juliet's pendant, he could smell the lilies and vanilla which was her scent. He figures why she gave it to him was to give him a peace of mind before he went to sleep. She was right, it helped him drift off to sleep.


	41. Everything Comes to Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving Cullen's office, Juliet deals with what she learned about Cullen's past and her own comes back to her. Wanting to handle it alone makes matters worse until Cole comes to help. He does his best to make her feel better. Juliet gets the courage to read her father's letter.

The tears Juliet held back when she left Cullen's office broke through. She runs to her room, and when she opens the door, her chest begins to hurt. She felt like she couldn't breathe, then her breaths become faster, and the room began spinning. She slides to the floor, holding her head as Cullen's words echoed in her mind. The thoughts of him being tortured, brought back her own memories, of the night she was raped. They both shared their personal struggles in the Circle that would always come back to haunt them. She wanted to tell him that she understood why he didn't want to have that part of his life coming back, but the words couldn't leave her. Juliet tries to hide her emotions from everyone else, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. She tries to calm herself, but it made her feel worse. She closes her eyes as the tears began running down her face. She doesn't open them, until a gentle hand touches her face. The owner's voice comes through her ears. 

"Nix, let me help." It was Cole, the spirit of compassion. He must've felt her pain and came to her. Juliet slowly opens her eyes, to see Cole's white eyes staring back at her. He holds out his hand to help her stand, and she takes it. "I could feel your pain, and I knew I needed to help." Juliet nods to his dedication on helping anyone who needs it.

"Thank you, Cole," she smiles, "I suppose you already know what's wrong, right?" she asks as they sit by the fireplace.

"Yes," Cole answers, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asks. Juliet takes in a deep breath, and sighs. He takes her hand and squeezes it. It was the reassurance she needed. Juliet explains everything and Cole sat there and listened. When she was finished, Cole looks over to her desk, "Is that why you haven't read your father's letter?" he asks, then sees her bite her lip.

Juliet tries to hide the tears as she looked at him, "Cole, I'm afraid that when I read it, that it'll say they never wanted me." She stands and walks over to her desk. She ponders over the letter again, then looks up to Cole.

"Juliet, the letter could hold the answers you have been seeking, but could as well give the closure you've been wanting," Cole's words echoes in her room when he disappears. Juliet looks back down and she places her hand on the letter. When she opens the letter, she begins to read her father's words he wrote to her.

_Juliet,_

_I have wrote letters to you, Fergus, and Elissa, but yours would be the one I would struggle with the most. There are no words of how your mother and I felt when we let Lillian raise you for the first eight years of your life. We don't want you to think that we didn't want you, but Juliet, we did. From the moment you were born, you was already full of surprises. We thought we lost you the moment we held you, you were stillborn, then a glow appeared. It pulsated through your body and you was brought back to us. Your magic is how you came back. We've known about your powers, and we were in awe that you was so gifted. You became our phoenix, Elissa was our dove, and Fergus was our solider. Your_ _mother and I felt complete with the three of you, until someone tried to break us apart._

_When you and Elissa were three months old, the rare winter arrived at Highever. Fergus, and Elissa fell ill, but you were healthy. As your mother tended to your siblings, you went with me to my study. We watched the snowfall, and your laughter echoed in the room. What I didn't notice that you created a white rose with your laugh. The rose is still alive after all those years, and it's on my desk as I write this. While we were distracted by the snow, an assassin snuck into the castle. When I saw the man, I pleaded with him to let me live, but he refused. When he started to lunge at us, you created a shield. It knocked him back, and before the guards could capture him, he ran to the window. He yelled that they would come back for you. When I told your mother of the events, that's when we decided to let your Aunt raise you, until you and Elissa turned eighteen._

_On the day you were taken away, Fergus learned the truth about who you were. We made him promise us if we weren't able to tell you that he would do it. I have been hearing of another attempt on my life, so I wrote these letters to the three of you. Juliet, my phoenix, your mother and I love you. We know you will make us proud, and remember my sweet girl that you have always been our daughter. I wrote to Fergus and Elissa to give you time to process, if you needed it, and to be ready for when you're ready to talk._

_Remember, always be the light that we know you are meant to be, and never be ashamed of your powers._

_P.S. Happy birthday. Fergus will have your gift when he gives you the letter. It's from your mother and I. Along with a drawing from Oren, your nephew._

_Your Father_

Juliet places the letter down, and wipes the tears from her face. Cole was right, the answers and closure was there. She wanted to stay in her room, but she promised Cassandra an update on Cullen. As she starts to walk out of her room, Elissa is waiting for her. "You read yours too, didn't you?" she asks, and Juliet nods. They hug and both begin sobbing. Their father's letters brought them closer together. "We can talk about it later, alright?" Elissa asked, and Juliet nods again.

"Yeah, I need to find Cass, and give her an update on Cullen. You wanna come with me?" Juliet asks, "I really don't want to be alone right now." Elissa nods to her sister's request, and they go downstairs to look for Cassandra. When they find her, they see she is hitting Bull with a stick.

"What the hell?" they both ask. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This chapter I wanted to show a small bonding moment between Cole and Juliet. When I first met him, I loved his character. He was like a little brother to her.
> 
> Thank you again for reading!


	42. A Qunari Training Exercise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins find Bull teaching Cassandra a qunari training exercise, and encourages them to try it. While they particpate, Juliet finds out who was Cullen's choice of his replacement. As they enjoy the training, someone enters her mind and begins taunting her.

From afar, Bull stands in front of Cassandra, and starts instructing her on what to do. The twins approach and watch them practice. They wave to each other before Bull turns back to Cassandra. His instructions were for her; to hit his chest as hard as she could. Though eachtime he never felt pain, and could see Cassandra wasn't trying hard enough. "You're holding back, Cass," he informed. She hits his chest once more, and he still doesn't feel the strength behind it. "Again," he encouraged, she follows his encouragment, but still nothing. His frustration rose, "Come on, Cass! This is why the Qun doesn't like women fighting! I should've asked Cullen!" he snarled. Cassandra looks over to the twins and winks. They try to hide their grins as she draws the stick back. She hits Bull's face with an upward strike, and he falls to the ground. "Ow, good one," he groaned. The girls burst into laughter as he struggles to stand. A noise came from Sera's balcony window, and they look up to see her laughing.

"Good job, Cass! That should keep 'im on his arse!" she yells as she goes to sit on the roof. The girls applaud Cassandra as she takes a bow.

"Fuck you, Sera!" Bull spat. He picks up the stick, and looks over to the twins, " Since you two think it's so funny, here." He offers it to them, but they don't take it. "Go on. Hit me," he encouraged, "See if one of you can do better than Cass." They look over to Cassandra to see her glaring at Bull.

"Do you want to get knocked on your ass again?" Cassandra growled.

Bulll held his hands up, "Maybe," he joked, "All I want to do is get over this demon crap." He looks over to the twins to see them nod. He insists that they stretch as he explains what the training exercise is. Juliet would go first while Cassandra, Sera, and Elissa watched. "Very good," he grunted, "Cass told me that Cullen is wanting me to replace him as Commander." Juliet stops then looks over to Cassandra, and sees her nod. "Is he feeling better, Boss?"

"Yeah, he just needs rest," Juliet answers as she continues to swing. She catches her breath then looks over to Elissa, "Your turn," she huffed, and hands her the stick. Elissa chuckles and walks over to Bull. Sera whistles to Juliet then tosses her a bottle. She takes a swig of it as she goes to join Cassandra. They watch Elissa and Bull, and she sighs, "You were right."

"I know," Cassandra smirks, "So you were able to get through to him?" Juliet nods and begins to explain of what happened. When she learned of what happened to him in Ferelden's Circle put her in a disbelief. The question he had asked her, still bothered her. She didn't have an answer, but wished she did. "Let me ask you this. Were you able to convince Cullen to rethink the replacement idea?"

"Yes, but I-" Juliet goes to answer, but Cassandra cuts her off.

"Then it was enough, Nix. You helped in more ways than you think. The rest is for Cullen to figure out for himself," Cassnadra reassured, and Juliet smiles. As they continued to watch Elissa, a presence entered Juliet's mind. The aura wasn't familiar to her, but she was in a paralyzed state when she found out who it was. It was Erimond, the man who tried to destroy the Grey Wardens.

 _"You won_ ' _t be able to stop me, Juliet. I will hurt everyone you love, by taking away their beloved Hearld,"_ Erimond taunted. His voice echoed in her mind, and the thoughts of what he declared came next. She tries to block him out, but his laughter interrupted her process. _"You can't block me out, stupid girl. I'm stronger than you think!"_ he growled. Juliet grabs her head as his dark laughter grew and he continued to plauge her mind.

Cassandra looks over to her, and could sense something was wrong. She looks closer at her to see tears streaming down her face. "Juliet, what is it?" she asks, but Juliet doesn't answer, "Juliet? Answer me, please?"

"MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!" Juliet cries out. Cole appears in front of them. Cassandra stands in shock as Cole appeared to Juliet's call. "Cole! Please!" she begged.

'Dark. Pain. Tortured. How to block him out?" Cole whispered.

"Him? Him who?" Cassandra asked.

"Erimond. He netered Juliet's mind, and he's plauging herthoughts," Cole answered, then places Juliet's hands with his, "Deep breaths, Juliet. You're the master of your mind. Control your emotions, focus on your breathing," he instructed. Juliet breaths slow down, but Cole could sense Erimond was still bothering her. "Juliet, I can't make him escape. You need to do it."

While Elissa and Bull were focused on training, they didn't notice what was happening to Juliet. Elissa stops when she spots Cole in front of her sister. She drops the stick, and rushes over to see what could be wrong. Cassandra briefly explains, while Cole continues to help Juliet. Erimond's voice comes through once again.

 _"Not even the spirit of Compassion can stop me,"_ he chuckles, _"I will see you at noon, dear Juliet,"_ he whispers, and leaves Juliet's mind.

Once Juliet regain control of her mind, she feels a tap along her wrist. She opens her eyes to see Cole holding her hands. She looks over and see Cassandra, Elissa, and Bull looking at her. Cole continues to tap her wrist as her breathing strated to slow down. "Did I help, Juliet?" he asked.

She squeezes his hands, and smiles, "Yes, thank you, Cole," she hugs him.

"Nix, what happened?" Elissa asked as she brushed a few strands of Juliet's hair back.

"Erimond entered my thoughts then took control of my mind. He's a stronger telepath than I," Juliet explained, "Cole felt my pain, and came to help." The others nod, and smile that she was alright for now. "Dove, we need to meet with the advisors, before Erimond's judgemnet. I know what he's planning, and I need to head to Cullen's office," she informs. The twins wave goodbye to the others, and head to Cullen's office.


	43. Need A Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alistair tells Cullen that Leliana needs them to convince the twins to have a birthday party, but it puts them in an awkward situation. When the twins come to Cullen's office before Erimond's judgement, Alistair learns about Juliet's telepathic ability. After the four discuss Leliana's favor, they head to Main Hall.

A knock awakens Cullen from his blissful slumber. He groans as he rises from his bed. He places Juliet's locket around his neck before he started to get dressed. He hoped the knock wasn't another report that he needed to oversee. He remembered Juliet promising to come check on him, so could it be her? The knocking grew more persistent, and in turn caused Cullen to become more irritated. "Just a moment!" he hollered as he descended down the ladder. Before opening the door, he prepares for the possible stack of paperwork, or Juliet. When he opens it, he sees Alistair standing there instead. "Alistair, come in."

Alistair bows his head, "Thank you, Cullen," he replies as he walks in, but stops when he sees Juliet's locket. "I see Jules trusts you to hold onto that," he implies when he points to it. Cullen looks at him confused, until he looks down at the locket.

"Yes, but this isn't the first time though. It was back in Haven, when she made a promise to me that she would come back," Cullen explained. He thinks back to the moment Juliet placed it in his palm. The moment before Haven's destruction. He thought in that one moment it would be the last time he would hear her voice, feel her touch, and look into her beautiful ice-blue eyes. Though luck was on their side, but it was almost too late.

"Leliana told me, and I thought it was brave of the both of you. Elissa has trusted me to hold onto hers once before. I believe it's their way of keeping a promise," Alistair grinned, "Speaking of Leliana, she needs a favor from us."

Cullen's eyes go wide, "I'm afraid to ask." He knew the favor had to be about the twins, since Leliana needed them both.

"I said the same thing when she asked me," Alistair laughs, "She needs us to convince the the girls to have a party for their birthdays," he explained. Cullen bit his lip as he rememebered Juliet expressing of why she didn't want a party.

"Juliet won't agree to it. No matter on who tries to convince her," Cullen advised.

"Nor will Elissa," Alistair agreed, "Fergus said they always went to the festival instead of having a party." As they continued discussing about Leliana's favor, they were undecided on what they should do. Alistair explained that the twins agreed on not celebrating, even though it's has been twenty years. They decided to respect their wishes, and they remembered Varric was planning a surprise for them in a few days.

"Well," Alistair stretches, "Shall we head to the War Room? Nix called for a meeting, before the Tevinter bastard's judgement."

Cullen nods as he walks over to his desk, "I hope you have an explaination for Leliana," he jokes as he placed his sword on his hip. Alistair tries to refuse, but he stops him, "She asked you first, so you have to explain," he reasoned. He opens the door to see Juliet and Elissa waiting for them.

"Hi girls," they greeted together. They look each other, both hoping the twins didn't hear the conversation. The twins raise their brows to them as they try hide their grins.

"I was coming by to get my sword, but now I'm intriguied by what you meant 'giving Leliana an explainantion'?" Juliet crosses her arms, "Care to explain?" she questioned. Cullen swallows the lump in his throat, and Alistair snickers.

"Don't think you're getting off so easily, Alistair," Elissa hissed, "One of you better start talking, now." They don't say anything, and look at each other. Juliet reads their minds, then looks at Elissa.

"Leliana is wanting them to convince us to have a birthday celebration," Juliet smirked then walked into Cullen's office. Alistair is stunned by how she knew that.

"Why ask us what we talked about it if you overheard the entire conversation?" Alistair scoffed. The others begin laughing, and Alistair becomes confused, "What's so funny? Wait, why do you need a sword? You're a mage." 

"I can read minds, Al. I thought _someone_ told you," Juliet cackled, "Speaking of which, Cullen, where is it?" she asks. Cullen goes behind his desk, then hands her a case. She opens it to reveal the Inquisitior's sword, and Alistair and Elissa take in the beauty of it. As she places it on her hip, "There," she looks to the others, "Now to answer you're next question, Al. This is what I need for Erimond's judgement."

"Well, your sword is beautiful, Nix," Elissa confessed. The twins start to leave, but the guys takes their hands. Cullen pulls Juliet into a kiss, and Alistair does it to Elissa. They smile as they hear the twins squeal. "Boys, we need to get going before Leliana comes to find us," Elissa laughs. They release the girls from their holds, and they leave Cullen's office.

A few feet away, Juliet whispers to Elissa, "I know what you're thinking. I'm not going to say anything, right now. He has enough on his mind." Juliet wanted to tell Cullen what happened, but she didn't want to add more stress onto Cullen. She did a small prayer, to give her strength to be ready to judge Erimond. She holds Elissa's hand, and grips her other hand onto her sword. They walk to her throne, and wait for Erimond.


	44. The Judgement Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erimond's judgement has arrived, and the outcome has everyone on edge. When Juliet makes the decision for his fate, things take a turn for the worse.

The waiting for Erimond's judgement gave Juliet an advantage. When she read his mind, she could see Erimond breaking from his chain. She revealed to Elissa of what happened as they made their way to get her sword. When they entered the main hall, Juliet walked to her throne as Elissa joined the others in the crowd. She sits as Josephine begins the introduction of Erimond's judgement to the audience. "Lord Livius Erimond of Vyrantium, who remains loyal to Corypheus." The guards guide him to stand in front of Juliet as Josephine proceeds, "When we found him alive, he offered _extreme_ resistance. Possibly because the Order will ask for his head."

"You got that right," Alistair mumbled and Elissa smirked. Juliet looks over to where they stood and winked.

"After your experience in the Fade, the decision befalls to you, _Your Worship,_ " Josephine bowed.

Juliet sits back and smirked, "Well, this will be quick." Erimond tries to stop her, but she holds her hand up, "Lord Erimond, any protection you thought you had has been _withdrawn,"_ she points to him, "You will die, by my hand," she declares. Erimond glared at her then flashed a wicked grin. The soldiers guided him where the execution would take place. Juliet stands and leads the others out of the main hall.

Upon walking to the platform, Juliet sees Erimond kneeling, and he's trying to break free. She keeps her hand on her sword as she gets closer to him. Cullen's gaze bounces from Erimond to Juliet. Alistair leans over, "I hope Nix knows what she's doing," he whispered.

"So do I," Cullen replied, then points at Erimond, "He's trying to break free." Alistair looks over, and sees what Erimond was struggling with his bonds. He let out a small curse that only Cullen could hear.

When Juliet stands beside Erimond, she reaches for her sword. She takes a deep breath as she draws her weapon. Before she delivers the blow, Erimond breaks free. He rushes towards her then slams her against the tower's wall. She could feel her ribs crack due to the amount of force he used. His laughter echoed in her ears, "You stupid bitch! You can't kill me, but I can kill you!" he snarled as he conjured the spell of crushing prison. He placed his hand on her throat as she tried to scream, but nothing escaped her lips. Juliet drops her sword as he added more pressure then intensified the spell. "Nice try, Juliet. I'm stronger than you," his grip tightens as he looks over at Cullen, "Such a beautiful woman. I bet she tastes so sweet."

"Get away from her, you fucking bastard," Cullen growled. Juliet tries to let out another soundless scream, but Erimond's grip and the spell continued to grow.

"Your Commander needs to learn how to share," he taunted. As he leans into kissing Juliet, she tries to fight through his hold. She looks over to Cullen and he could see her eyes pleading to him to stop Erimond's spell. Cullen looks at Alistair then back to her. They dispel Erimond's magic, giving Juliet time to gather some strength.

Before his lips touches her, she kicks his chest, "Like hell!" she hissed. Erimond's releases her, and she falls to the ground. She coughs as she tries to stand up after she grabs her sword. He faces her and prepares to cast another spell. Juliet dodges the attack, then whistles soon after Elissa appears beside her. Elissa shoots an arrow and it lodges in Erimond's knee. He screams in pain as he falls in front of them. "Fun fact; my sister never misses her target," she tossed the sword in her hand, "And I don't either," she snarls then slashes his throat.

The audience cheered when his body fell. Juliet waves to the crowd before she could catch herself from falling. Zeveran catches her as Cullen rushed to her side. "Thank you, Zev," she breathed. Cullen and Alistair appeared beside the trio, and they could see the marks left on Juliet's throat.

"You're welcome, Inquisitor," he looks at Cullen, "Here you go, Commander," Zeveran places Juliet's hand on Cullen's. Cullen places her arm around his neck, "She needs to go to a healer, we'll take care of this." He bows and walks away.

"I'll be... alright. Just let me catch... my breath," Juliet huffed. The others look at each other as she struggled with her breathing. Cullen places an arm around her waist, though Juliet tries to remove from his grasp, he stops her. "Love, I can stand on my own."

"No, you can't. Juliet that was an advance spell, not to mention the strong grip he had on your throat," he insisted. Juliet presses her side, and lets out a muffled scream. "Juliet?"

"I'm _fine_ ," she lied through gritted teeth. Fergus joins them, and knew she was lying.

"No, you're not," Fergus glared, "Liss, go get a healer."

"Fergus-" she began to argue, but the pain increased, "Fuck!" she hissed.

"Juliet Nicole Cousland, would you quit being stubborn for one second," he growled, "You may be the Inquisitor, but you're our sister first!" Juliet doesn't argue, but moans in pain. Fergus looks at Cullen as they hear her let out another muffled scream. Cullen holds onto Juliet's hand, and they head to her room. They walk through the door that opens to Solas room, and see Dorain and Solas waiting for them. Dorian goes to say something, but Cullen shakes his head.

When they reached Juliet's room, Elissa takes Cullen's place, and guides Dorian and Solas upstairs. Upon entering her room, Elissa walks her sister over to her bed. Juliet lets out a painful scream as she sits down. Outside her scream echoes causing Cullen's body to become tense as the pain behind it rang in his ears. Alistair and Fergus placed comforting hands on his shoulders as they waited. Elissa explains of the events, as Solas found bruising on Juliet's ribs to indicate that they were broken.

While Solas prepared the ointments, Elissa placed her belt in Juliet's mouth, to help muffle her screams, and Dorian began to numb the area. "Please, tell me that bastard is dead," Dorian demanded. Elissa nodds as she wipes the sweat dripping from Juliet's forehead. Solas sighs as he finished healing Juliet's ribs. Dorian looks over to him, "Solas, will she be alright?"

"Yes, but she needs to be on bed rest for the next few days. For now, let her rest," he suggested, and began to gather his things. He looks at Elissa, "Will you be able to carry her to the bath?"

Before Elissa could answer, Dorian cuts in, "I'll help her." Solas nods and descends down the stairs. Dorian goes to start the bath while Elissa woke her sister. Juliet wakes up, then Elissa guides her to the tub. Dorian goes to grab comfortable clothing, and a towel. Elissa helps her as Dorian prepared the bed. While they finish getting Juliet comfortable, Dorian kisses their cheeks, and leaves. The twins hold onto the other's hand, and drifts off to sleep.

Outside of Juliet's room, Cullen, Alistair, and Fergus waited for Solas or Dorian to come out. When they see the door open, they rush to greet them. Solas explained when Erimond slammed Juliet against the wall that he cracked her ribs. Dorian adds that the spell caused them to break, luckily, Solas was able to repair the damage. Before they leave, Solas requested Juliet to be on bed rest for the next few days. After they depart, the trio heads upstairs to her room.

When they enter Juliet's quarters, they find the twins asleep. They decide they would all sleep here, since they didn't want to wake the girls. Elissa awakens and motions Cullen to take her place. Alistair and Elissa take the couch as Fergus sits at his sister's desk. He smiles as he watches them sleep peacefully. He looks down at the top of the desk to see the opened letter from their farther. "Oh, Father, Mother, if you could see how happy your daughters are," he whispers. He crosses his arms then drifts off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you for reading my first ever fic! The Dragon Age franchise is very dear to my heart and I wanted to share a little of my storytelling for you all and I also would like to thank MakersBread for helping me with all the advice and inspiring me to write mine! If you haven't already read hers it's amazing and you should go read it hers is called "Marked"! I just wanted to add my own twist on the relationships of Female Trevelyan and Female Warden and make them twins instead of cousins or best friends! So enjoy and leave a comment down below!
> 
> Thanks again and enjoy!!


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